


With Honor, Comes Redemption

by Zeethulhu



Series: Simple Geometry [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anger, Attempted Murder, Bargaining, Blood and Gore, Blood and Torture, Denial, Depression, Dismemberment, Five Stages of Grief, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Murder, No Acceptance, Noodle Dragons, Paranoia, Pre-Recall, Rape, Rape Aftermath, Redemption, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, not yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-05-16 03:39:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 28
Words: 108,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19309864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeethulhu/pseuds/Zeethulhu
Summary: How Hanzo tries to regain his honor by atoning for the murder of his brother.





	1. Dishonor And Regret

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm not really a Hanzo main. But fuck do I love bows in any game. Besides, tattoos, bows, dragons, he was like made for me to play. So I really just jump between Zenyatta, Mccree, and Hanzo...sometimes Orisa if no one is going to be a tank. 
> 
> I've been an avid reader of Mchanzo fics, as well as Roadrat fics. I recommend Popcorn Redemption, and Afterdrop, for Mchanzo fans. And Fifty-fifty for Roadrat fans. Excellent fics each, not finished any of them. 
> 
> Anyways, I was enamored with the bit of back story you get for Hanzo and Genji. Couldn't stay out of it anymore. I'm working towards an introspective, action filled fic. Any inaccuracies please share with me. I'm going to build this world based on some of the known facts and go from there. Because we know a ton of things from pre recall, but not everything.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Hanzo's duel with Genji

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Panic Attacks, Dissassociation, Attempted Suicide

"Honor" was a concept Shimada Hanzo was certain he had known well his entire life. _Meiyo_ , _honor_ , the very word tasted like bile on his tongue. Hanzo knew now that he had no idea what honor was. How could he? 

In the beginning the dragons of their family had spelled out the fate of those who would turn against their family. That story had been etched into his blood, burned into his soul the moment his dragons had come to life. Their existence was a warning as clear as day in a story that had been told to him thousands of times.

Hanzo had grown up with one tenet that ruled his soul. More than the grooming and training to take over the criminal empire his father and grandfather before him had built. More than the lessons in Bushido, in martial arts and weapons. The lesson had been clear, _honor your family._

 Hanzo knew nothing of honor, no...he had _become_ the Dragon of the South Wind. On the orders of old men and women who _also_ knew nothing of honor, he had done the unforgivable. What a great fool he was. Worse than a fool, he was a pawn. Warped by the views of those elder than him. Distorted by his own being in letting them poison his mind. 

Following his idea of honor had been easy enough when he was a child. Protecting his brother Genji had been as simple as breathing. It was in scaring off childhood bullies when Genji made friends outside of their home. It was in taking the punishments for his brother's mistakes as he got older. It was in being the guiding hand that showed his brother the way as they took assassination missions. Then it became cleaning up after Genji when he'd caused a drunken scene at the local night clubs, the arcades, or even on the castle grounds. Hanzo had stepped in any number of times as his father and mother did for Genji.

Genji had been expected to honor the clan, but his expectations were always going to be less than Hanzo's. Hanzo was the one that would inherit the position of Kumicho. He had proven himself to the elders, to the entire clan. Of course it angered him that Genji thought nothing of his place in the clan. Nothing of what his role would be if Hanzo perished. He rejected the very notion of being yakuza any further.

Training to be better than any who came across Hanzo was the goal he grew with. Any weapon he took up he learned with brutal efficiency. It was expected as much as it was revered of him. In his mind he told himself it was to honor his clan, to be worthy of the title _Kumicho_. In his heart he told himself it was to protect his brother. That voice in his heart grew quieter and quieter through the years. With every argument, with every scathing word, shared between them it grew so _so_ silent.

Then finally it felt like everything he had prepared for everything he was groomed for was thrust into his hands. The unexpected death of their parents left Hanzo filling a gaping hole. His father had seemed so imposing, the grip he'd had on the elders of their clan was iron clad. Hanzo had no way to mimic that level of influence. Not so soon, not without Genji's assistance. Assistance his brother scorned. And their arguing turned dark, hateful then. What was said was of little consequence, who said it even less important. The argument felt petty, which was even more pitiful in Hanzo's mind.

All his life he'd been groomed, prepared, guided to his place atop the criminal empire of his clan. Duty before honor. Duty _is_ honor. A poison that had been slow acting in his mind his entire life. Poison he fell into and drank like it was water. What had his duty and honor gotten him? It had proven he was nothing before the face of elders who had out maneuvered him. Used and manipulated, he had no one to blame but himself.

Shimada Hanzo had no honor, not any more.

 

* * *

 

 Hanamura was always beautiful in the spring, the Shimada Castle grounds even more so. The cherry trees flowered this time of year, casting the beautiful pink petals across the mountaintop they lived on. The traditional buildings became even more stunning with the beauty of the sakura blooming. Hanzo had always loved this castle in the spring time. He likened it to peace given physical form. The only peace one could have in the reality of the yakuza lifestyle.  

Hanzo turned from where he had looked across the grounds of his home from the overlook attached to the dojo. Instead he stared down at the bloodied katana in his hand. The rush of his dragons returning to him felt like an acid burn. What was always a satisfied curl of life now felt like sin. Their agony bit into his mind with hate and fury. All of the rage that had burned his mind to this point was gone. He had felt so righteous when this fight began. So _sure_ of his duty. 

_What have I done?_

He trembled all over, the bloodied slashes on his shoulder and leg were far away. A pit of cold terror filled him instead. He stumbled for the mass of blood and gore slung across the center of the dojo. He recoiled when he found himself looking at his brother's legs. Severed and torn apart from dragon teeth. Smoking almost from the rush of spirit energy. 

"G-Genji?" Hanzo choked on the name. His dragons writhed under his skin, spitting and hissing at him. He'd ordered them out of him, sliced through his brother as they ravaged him.

 _What have I_ done?!

Hanzo looked down at his sword and dropped it in horror. He'd slain his brother. Killed him like he was nothing more than a target he was sent to assassinate. How could he have done that?! What had he been _thinking?!_

Hanzo fell to his knees and arched forward. He vomited onto the tatami floor, the reality of what he had done slammed into him like so much weight. Every feeling of love he'd ever had for his brother boiled to the surface. Every fond moment, every interaction they had ever shared. It all obliterated the surity of what he'd felt when this all started. Where was all of that when he had left the elders to find Genji stumbling home drunk?!

Hanzo heard the guards as they raced through the castle. All the silence and privacy glared at him, this duel had been planned and executed as the elders had wanted. The vice that had held him, the corner he'd felt backed into, they were all excuses. All orchestrated by people who were supposed to be family. Nothing should have made him do this? The lives of the elders were _not_ greater than the one he had just taken.

 _I am a fool,_ worse _a kin slayer._  

Hanzo started to hyperventilate as his mind spun. The blood on his hands, splashed across his face and body burned. His little brother...the sparrow to his wolf. His equal, the other part of his soul. A ragged scream tore from his throat.

How could he have _done_ this? How could he have ever raised his sword against his brother?! He was a monster! A bastard! Dishonorable snake! Hanzo grabbed the sword as his dragons roared inside him. He turned as the guards approached. He didn't remember the first slash, he only knew a head flew over his shoulder. He swept through numerous yakuza members he had considered friends. He stalked through each body as if they were nothing.

When he came to awareness the elders were gone, long scattered when wind of his rampage reached them. Hanzo howled his fury to the sky. Sobbed his anguish to the sakura blossoms that blew through the wind. His agony, his rage, nothing filled the gaping chasm inside him. Nothing but bitter and poisonous regret seeped there.

 _I-I killed my brother...what have I_ done?!

 

* * *

 

Hanzo couldn't find the rest of Genji's body. The dragons had either vaporized his remains or he'd been thrust into the city below to bleed out there. A large wall was completely blown out thanks to their striking dragons. Green and Blue energy cascading dangerously flashed in his mind. He had ordered his dragons to duel their sister, to obliterate his brother. He had dishonored the dragons as terribly as he had dishonored his brother. 

Hanzo stood on the overhang for three days after their duel searching for his brother's body. He didn't bathe, he didn't eat, and he didn't drink a thing. After the third day, he had to give up. Genji had been picked up or destroyed in the dragon's initial rush, his body unrecoverable. The Shimada Castle grounds were silent as he walked through the property. 

He saw nothing of the bloated bodies lying in filth before the dojo. They were not worth his notice. He ignored them and picked the pair of legs up, one that was as long as Genji's thigh, the other at mid thigh. The flesh was rotting as he gathered them, as well as the sliced remains of his arm. He choked on his regret as he looked at the swirling patterns of waves and wind. The winding tail of the green dragon was emblazoned on the arm, it's maw had stretched to Genji's pectoral the same as Hanzo's storms had. Only it was the opposite arm. 

Once more the gravity of what he had done speared through him.

 ** _'You killed them.'_   **Ramen growled in his mind.

 ** _'Weak.'_** Udon rumbled in insult at Hanzo. 

They were right, he was weak. _Unimaginably_ weak. Foolish, a waste of a bloodline. The grand and illustrious name Shimada was stained by his crime. _He_ was stained by it. Hate burned deep in his belly, hate for himself. Any evil he had ever done in the name of his clan was pale in comparison to the evil he had wrought upon his little brother.  

Hanzo took Genji's limbs to the basement of the main house of the grounds. Where they had been able to dispose of bodies for decades. He burned them and gathered the ashes. The sun was high over head as he returned to throw them out to the sky. Hopefully returning his brother's limbs would bring a modicum of peace in death. Any peace after the horror Hanzo had inflicted on his brother was worth the effort. Maybe his brother could rest well this way. 

He heard noise behind him as he watched the last bits of his brother's ashes float away with the wind. He knew they would come eventually. The elders had gotten their pawn to murder half the surviving bloodline. Now they only had _him_ to remove. Then the arms and substance trade would be in their hands. Assassinations would never bear the skills of the Shimada name again. The honor his father and grandfather had fought for would fade into petty crime. 

Perhaps he should let them kill him. Put an end to his wretched existence. He looked down and frowned when he saw his sword sitting on the ground next to him. Discarded after he had slain the yakuza who had come first. The hilt was clean but the blade was still bloodied with a deep chip in it. Where his sword had clashed with Genji's. The last strike before he summoned his dragons forth.

 _ **'They come.'**   _Ramen snarled.

 _ **'Turn and face them.'** _Udon ordered.

"I would rather die." Hanzo muttered pitifully. "I deserve death."

 _ **'Face it head on!'**_   Ramen roared.

 _ **'You will die fighting!'**   _Udon mirrored the furious demand. Their combined might moved Hanzo to react, their energy filling him and controlling his actions. 

He sidestepped the sword that swung for his tattooed arm. He grabbed the hilt and thrust the man and his weapon over the edge of the wooden overhang. That was Shin Ryota. He had been a go-to underling when Hanzo had needed information. Ryota fell headfirst into the grounds ringing the castle below. There was no sound as he splattered, but the swath of red on the green grounds was telling.

Hanzo dodged another slashing blade, this one a tanto aimed for his throat. Grasping the arm at wrist and elbow he hauled the offender over his shoulder and twisted hard. Cartilage and bone snapped, the following shriek of pain was distinctly female. He looked down and hummed, Oikawa Yuki. She had been skilled in infiltration and assassination. He reached down and snapped her neck with ease.

A loose gathering of ten more assassins circled the massive balcony he was standing on. More lingered on the rooftops and walkways to his right. His sword glared up at him like a siren call, but the notion of picking it up sickened him. So he greeted each yakuza assassin with his fists. Breaking limbs, and necks, taking guns as he went. The firearms retorted as he emptied them with precision, felling the assassins above with lethal aim.

When he was done his blood surged with anger. He'd lived. 

Hanzo looked back at the city and picked up his sword. He walked into the dojo and sat it on the offering table beneath the scroll that was now sliced and spattered with Genji's blood. They would be coming for him, he was a threat. A plot had been clearly been in place to eliminate him after the duel. Or perhaps they had hoped Genji would have taken him out at the same time. Had Hanzo not summoned his dragons that would have been the case. 

Shame burned in tandem with the fury inside him. He had been horribly played, and he'd walked into it like a foolish child. Blind to anything but his distorted idea of duty. Now that he had lived and his brother was dead, the clan elders needed him gone. The Shimada name was weighted, and being the only full blooded Shimada left he needed to be removed. Hanzo was a target in a way he had never been since his childhood. He'd made himself that target when he attacked the guards three days ago. 

The only answer was to take his own life. Try to restore the lost honor he'd splattered all over this dojo with his brother's blood. In doing so he would take the satisfaction from the bastards that orchestrated this entire nightmare. Hanzo knelt at the offering table, he tore his button down shirt open and grabbed for the tanto thrown aside in the beginning of the duel. 

He was a disgrace, he'd fallen into the machinations of people who had not cared for him. He had slain his own brother in the name of their clan. Sullying the notions of family entirely.

Worthless. Kin slayer. Murderer. Bastard. 

Hanzo unsheathed the small blade and lifted it to the back of his head. He sheared his top knot off, he didn't deserve the dignity of an honorable man. He dropped the topknot to the top of the offering table, then he adjusted his posture and flipped the blade to point at his abdomen. He had not completed the full ritual, no final meal, no written words, there was no one to cut his neck and end his suffering. But his painful death should be enough to atone for his sin. He plunged the blade down towards his gut and was shocked when his dragons materialized without his summons. 

 _ **'Not like this.'**   _Udon growled. 

 _ **'This is not atonement.'**_   Ramen hissed. 

The blade sat a mere inch into his abdomen, he fought to drag it and at least spill his guts. He would take the slow, agonizing route, it was what he deserved. It moved only a fraction just under his naval. But the blade was wrenched away by the glittering rush of his dragon's wrapping around his arms. The blade clattered to the ground. 

Wretched sobs tore from him as he looked at the bleeding wound. It wasn't enough. It was barely a slice at all. He couldn't even bleed to death from this. "Why?! I deserve it!" 

_**'Live, Master,'**_   Ramen purred and nudged his hand to cover the wound. 

 _ **'Earn redemption.'**_   Udon coiled around him. _ **'Make this right.'**_

"I cannot!" Hanzo argued as he sobbed. "It is the only thing that will make this hate...this agony go away! Genji deserves my death to atone for his." 

 _ **'You will atone.'**   _Ramen nudged his jaw.

 _ **'Honor Genji by living in atonement.'**_   Udon evaporated into glittering particles. Rushing back into the tattoo. Ramen followed and Hanzo bowed over his knees and sobbed in despair. Even death was beyond him. He didn't even deserve that release. 

 

* * *

 

Hanzo would have nothing more to do with the criminal empire built upon the blood of his brother. It wasn't worth it, it had _never_ been worth it. He only had himself to blame for that. 

Hanzo gathered the loose funds he'd always had on hand. And bathed away the blood of his brother and his enemies. And they _were_ his enemies. Fealty to him as Kumicho and his role was flimsy, it had always been so. He wanted nothing to do with that regard. Never again.

He stitched the slashes left from his battle with Genji, and the fresh ones from his fight with the assassins. Then he stitched closed the remains of his seppuku attempt. His shame. He medicated himself and took the medical supplies to the bags he would be taking with him. 

Hanzo eschewed the tailored clothes he'd paid small fortunes on. Instead he took out a kyudo-gi and hakama. He dressed in all black, covering his tattoo to try and distance himself from the silence of his dragons. If only he could silence his mind as well. Then he stilled next to the seperate closet that housed his weapons.

They would come for him. He was now a wanted man.

Hanzo slid open the door and looked into the small space covered with blades, and guns, all top of the line. He was proficient in all of them. A lifetime of training had ensured that. His vision swam as he looked at the numerous katana, wakizashi, and tanto. He would never lay hands on a bladed weapon like them again. Not after...not after what he'd done. 

There was a bow hanging to his left. Something black and sleek, with arrows that moved through the air with precision and silence. It would do. Hanzo had not practiced archery in years but he was skilled none the less. It was the only weapon in this room that wasn't making him balk. He must survive, to atone. 

He stuffed a bag full of the arrows, then he filled a quiver before he buckled it to his back. He strung the bow and tossed it over his shoulder. He gathered his gear bag, money and supplies were stuffed in the other bag. He looked across the elegant space that had been his since childhood. The large bed covered in midnight fabric had been a comfort. The expensive clothing, accessories, all for a man who oozed the power of the Shimada-Gumi. 

Hanzo looked down in deeper shame. He had tried to remain humble as his mother had wanted him to. But the power and weight of the clan had caused him to buckle, as his father had warned him of. Hanzo turned and left the room, the memories of his childhood reeled through his mind and became even stronger the moment he looked across the hall. Genji's room lay behind that sliding door. 

Genji's bedroom had been covered in colorful posters and became a mess of discarded clothing and random goods. Cluttered and disorganized always. Green swaths of fabric and all of Genji's interests had been abundant in there. Hanzo reached out to touch the door as fresh shame heaped on top of the regret and self loathing that simmered inside him. Tears spilled down his cheeks and he wiped at them angrily. His sorrow meant nothing now, he didn't even deserve to weep for his dead brother. Not when he was Genji's murderer. 

Hanzo turned on his heel and left, he slipped out of the grounds as the sun set and cast the grounds into orange and pink. With that, he had abandoned the Shimada name. Dishonor had stained him soul deep. Now he needed to survive with it. He had no idea how to do that with such crippling guilt brewing in him. But he wouldn't think about it, instead he would act as he would after a mission. He would vanish. 


	2. Self Sufficient

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo deals with being alone for the first time in his life. He isn't coping well worth guilt and grief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The overwatch timeline says that Hanzo and Genji fought when he was like 28-29, which means Genji is 26-27.

Being alone had its merits once upon a time. Hanzo had sought out being alone more times than he could fathom when he was younger. Finding peace in solitude and clearing his mind with it. As Kumicho he had only found solitude when he meditated. It had been a savored concept before... just before. 

Now, as Hanzo pulled every ounce of his skill out to disappear, _alone_ didn't feel like being **alone**. He managed to leave Hanamura, but it felt like too many eyes were still on him. He kept travelling by various methods. He skipped trains, hopped into hover taxi's, rode buses, and walked for days until he felt like the watchers were gone. Ward after ward, just trying to lose his tails in heavy populated areas. He chose a motel in the underbelly of Saitama Prefecture to stay in to lay low.

Hanzo then sequestered himself to finish healing his wounds. Some time off the streets would help lose even more of his hunters. He told himself the moment he looked around the bland room he'd rented, that it would only be a few days. The first few days he dutifully took antibiotics and cared for his wounds. The biotic shots in the first aid kit remained there, they were emergency healing items and he didn't need the golden nanites wasted on wounds well on their way to healing.

Hanzo slept fitfully, afraid to truly fall asleep because Genji was in his dreams. Always with the companionable air they had shared as children. Even as Genji grew into the green haired delinquent he'd been when he broke into his twenties, he was as excitable and playful as he'd been as a child. Hanzo's dreams each time he slept, were of times long past, events out of his grasp, and even what might have been. If they hadn't spewed hate at one another, if Genji hadn't spurned him and his role, if Hanzo had not given in to the elders...Hanzo chose not to sleep.  

Hanzo ate mechanically, and even that was stretching the truth. He ate when he remembered, and that only happened when he ordered alcohol to the room. Bottles littered every surface. The drunk stupor he kept himself in to ignore the pain in his heart, but not so much he would fall asleep. It numbed the agony in his spirit. Chased away the regret and hate he felt for himself. His guilt was too great, and worse he hated himself for knowing he was guilty and didn't deserve to be upset about it. 

He had only looked at himself once after coming to this motel room. And his uneven hair hung around his patchy face. His facial hair was coming in quickly without his daily maintenence. Solidifying the look of a worthless man. He only saw a murderer in the reflection. So he broke the mirror and left the glittering shards in the sink. The television droned on in the room casting everything in an artificial light. Hanzo however, laid in bed and stared at the wall. Passing time until he could get his feet under him, or for everything to just not hurt anymore. 

He was a coward...

 

* * *

 

When Hanzo came to he knew it was because he'd finally passed out and burned through the alcohol in his blood. But that wasn't what was wrong with him at the moment. If he'd dreamed, it had been mercifully lost to his drunk mind. He shifted and thought that while he was uncomfrotable, he could just go back to sleep and avoid being sober. His dreams, while painful, were better than reality. Genji was still there in his dreams. Genji hadn't died under his sword there. 

"Wake up!" A loud voice barked at him and frezing water was splashed on him. Hanzo jolted and noticed he was no longer on the bed. Instead he'd been tied down to the only chair in the motel room. The lights were on and two men were shifting through his collection of sake bottles. A larger man was standing against the door, and the one in charge was holding an ice bucket and chewing on the end of a cigarette. "Look at you... _Kumicho_ of the Shimada, drinking yourself to death in here. Disgraceful."

Hanzo huffed in a breath as his mind spun wildly with the hangover plaguing him. He was still drunk, even though his mind was working as if it were sober. They'd found him too soon. He'd been too far gone to protect himself. His selfish need to not feel his crippling guilt had cost him. Now he was tied down and at their mercy. Hanzo tipped his head back and looked at the ceiling. It was poetic though, maybe they could kill him and he didn't have to live in such agony any more. Atonement could come through his death if someone could manage to kill him. 

"Took you...long enough." Hanzo snorted. "Who sent you?" 

"Kentaro-Sama," The smoking assassin blew out a breath and the smoke wafted over Hanzo's face. He wrinkled his nose in annoyance, "He wants your head for himself, it'll put him in charge of the Shimada-gumi." 

"Kentaro is a fool." Hanzo snorted. Shimada Kentaro was an elder who headed up the drug trade for the clan. His side of the family had married in through an aunt on his mother's side. They had been among the first to push the drug trade. Kentaro used his own product which made him weak. He had plenty of money, and that was all any of the elders had. There was no dragon to continue the clan's leadership properly outside of Hanzo now. So their hold, while vast was weak, so long as Hanzo lived. "A shame..." 

"A shame?" The assassin scoffed and stood up. He drew a gun from inside his blazer and pointed it at Hanzo's chest. "You're the one tied up Shimada, for once _you're_ the fucking shit under _our_ shoes. Always looking down on us, even now when you're at the bottom." 

The other three laughed in agreement. Hanzo sighed, he couldn't let them kill him. What remained of his pride wouldn't stand for it now. His dragons remained silent, but he didn't need them for this. He shifted his knees and despaired to realize they hadn't even tied down his legs. Hanzo shook his head and looked up, "This won't even be a good fight." 

"Eh? You think this is a fight?" The leader scoffed and curled his lip while his brows climbed up his forehead. "This is going to be a fucking massacre."

"Hmm, perhaps." Hanzo huffed and swung his leg up into the leader's groin. His other leg shot up and kicked the gun right out of lax hands. It landed and retorted, foolish move.

The bullet cut through the leg of the chair and it toppled. Hanzo rolled to his feet and jerked his still attached arm up. The chair smashed into one of the rushing men. Hanzo turned and caught the knife streaking for him. He disarmed the third man easily enough now that both of his hands were free. The knife clatered to the ground and Hanzo stomped down on it. He twined his arm around the man's neck and snapped it. 

"You bastard!" The leader roared and lunged for the gun.

Hanzo dropped the dead criminal and ducked under the recovered one who was bleeding from his nose. Hanzo yanked the man in front of him and used his body to absorb the bullets that were aimed at him. The roar of the gun was thunderous in the room. Hanzo threw the bullet riddled thug into the leader and dropped the ropes that were used to tie him down to his hands. He kept one in hand and bound over the bed and up the wall to launch at the large man who was trying to rush him. Hanzo looped the rope around his neck and dropped behind him. 

Hanzo jerked hard on the rope strangling the large man. It was hell on his muscles, but Hanzo was riding on pure adrenalin. He kept up the pressure despite the flailing limbs and force dragging him almost off his feet. Hanzo gritted his teeth but continued choking the life from the large attacker. He went down and rather than assuming he was dead, Hanzo yanked the gun from the man's waist band and shot him in the back of the head. Crude, but effective.

The leader was still alive, struggling to get out from beneath his dead friend. Hanzo sank to the bed with a heavy grumble. "Shimada-Sama...spare me please!" 

"Spare you?" Hanzo shook his head with a sigh. He ignored the sudden respectful title attached to his name. "You'll just come after me again." 

"I won't I swear it!" He shoved the body aside and Hanzo lifted his stolen gun to keep the man in place. 

Hanzo shook his head and got up. As he stood the leader lunged for him, Hanzo shot him between the eyes on reflex. He broke the gun apart into pieces and flushed the small parts. The rest he tucked into his kyudo-gi. He gathered up his meager things and left the room with a stack of credits sitting on the bed in apology for the mess.

Getting that drunk was a mistake. He'd almost been too gone to handle that level of attack. Hanzo melted into the city to begin his winding escape again. He disposed of the gun pieces in various places. He chose to ignore the clink of bottles inside his gear bag. 

 

* * *

 

Hanzo was officially on the run. He never stopped in one place for more than a few hours rest. It felt very reminiscent of high activity assassination jobs. The kind with political backing, or with the threat of imminent retaliation. It was both taxing, and refreshing in its own way.

Hanzo traveled light, hiding in places no one would expect him to. His current hiding place was the interior of an abandoned warehouse in one of the more desolated cities. Scorched streets still damaged from the battles during the Omnic Crisis. It was surprising to find these little cities were populated by humans and omnics alike. Even while they hated one another. 

Hanzo stood poised before a makeshift archery range he had fashioned to refresh himself. His fingers were blistering, unused to the workout he was putting himself through. He'd only had to use his bow once since he'd been on the run. And he had not been pleased with the skill he'd displayed. 

The bow was fine, but he was irritated by how poorly it was constructed. He would need to get a new one, there were memories of his mother building a bow for her own assassinations. Her skill and ability had been what had drawn his father to her in the first place. She was unmatched, and Hanzo felt crippled not carrying his sword. He felt very much the young boy stumbling onto her range to learn again. 

Hanzo stilled and took a break. The muscles across his arms and shoulders tightened with exertion. His mind felt quieter though, all the anguish he was carrying stayed far back for right now. That was his coping method right now. He fell apart when it was time to sleep. Not before, not if he didn't want to die like a dog in the street. Not that he deserved an end any better than that.

Hanzo blew out a breath and strung the bow. He paced across his dingy range to yank his arrows from the rice sack wrapped around a wooden post he'd dragged up from the garbage. The state he was living in was ironic. Before...he'd lived in nothing but luxury.

His money was dwindling now that he thought of it. He could make it a few more months. But traveling across Japan and trying to stay under the radar required money. Money he was quickly running out of. There was even a bounty on his head in the underground. While the public saw the Shimada brothers had died in a car crash coming home from the night clubs; The criminal underground knew he was on the run.

With the most influential yakuza family paying the bill he'd had to move around a lot. Dump even more money into having others look aside. Being invisible wasn't easy at the moment. And he needed to be completely off anyone's radar. The more time he wasn't seen, the less they would look. 

Hanzo walked to a corner of the warehouse marked only by a crate. He sat down on the loose bed roll he had acquired. He propped his bow against the crate and dragged his bag close enough to find his packaged food. He needed to find work to make more money. He wasn't going to survive much longer without it. 

He could find work in a new town. Maybe do something medial, like the civilians did. Go unseen as long as he could as a regular person. No one would think Shimada Hanzo would work legitimate. It was an option, a good way to hide in plain site. 

Hanzo touched his frayed hair and sighed he dug through his beg for a hair tie. He froze when he touched something silk in feeling.

He pulled out a pair of silk sashes. One gold and embroidered, the other green and matching. Hanzo gripped them tight as pain registered deep in his heart. He shoved them rapidly back into the bag. Hanzo grabbed an actual hair tie and forced his uneven locks into a tight tail atop his head. A long strip of his bangs fell back over his face too short to fill the tie. No matter.

He dragged out a bottle of sake and decided now was as good a time as any to let the flood take him. He ripped the lid off the bottle and drank from it. The burn down his throat was almost as strong as the hate filled one in his soul. At least the two had something in common. They were directed at Hanzo himself. 

 

* * *

 

It was a foolish idea. He was an idiot for thinking this was a viable idea at all. Hanzo paced inside the small back room of the convenience store he'd been hired on at. He'd wasted the last of his funds forging the paperwork and renting a space to stay in.

 _'I was a yakuza Kumicho. Others did the work for me.'_ Hanzo's weaker inner voice hissed in disdain. _'Working as a shelf stocker. Look what I've become.'_

Hanzo shook his head in annoyance. The job was not the problem. He had posed as a waste management worker once to gain access to a client behind a gated home. Stocking shelves was _not_ beneath him. He needed work to supply himself with food and cover.

 Shimada Hanzo might not like the work, but he had no honor and thus didn't get to disparage the profession of those with it. Nakamura Shoji was just a man down on his luck, fired from a prestigious job and was trying to get back on his feet. He was grateful to have gotten this job at all as over qualified as he was.

Hanzo exhaled a breath as he calmed down. He turned to look at the mirror. He didn't look as good as he used to months ago. He looked haggard older than his twenty eight years. His once clean shaven face was sporting an unruly beard. His eyes were clear now  but they had been red hours ago when he woke from his drunken sleep. His ragged hair was pulled back into a lazy bun at the back of his head.

He'd acquired a number of casual clothes to wear to this job, so he didn't look like the drunkard he felt he was becoming. He could do this. Hanzo tugged down his sleeve and made sure his tattoo was still wrapped with hand wraps up to his elbow. He could _do_ this.

Hanzo had always been self-sufficient and this convenience store had been chosen because it was deep in the Nishi ward of Nagoya. It was very much out of the way of anyone in the yakuza, especially the Shimada. Everything was carefully planned. His bow bag was even tucked into the locker assigned to him. Hanzo was safe enough. He had emergency funds to escape should anyone happen upon him. But he needed to build up some other money. He was backed into a corner. It was time for Nakamura Shoji to take over.


	3. Hiding In Plain Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo tries to be a civilian, it's not as effective as he thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warning: Attempted assault

"Nakamura-San!" Keito's voice called from the front of the store.

Hanzo stilled from where he was unloading a box from the pallet delivered in the morning. Hanzo strictly worked the third shift in the 24 hour convenience store. There were only three employees he dealt with regularly. All of which were from the Kurosawa family. Keito was the youngest child. At eighteen he was a spirited, but dedicated boy.

Hanzo walked up the aisle leading to the back towards the front of the building. He found Keito standing in front of the cash register rather than behind it. The young boy looked worried as he waved to Hanzo frantically. Beckoning him over quickly. 

"Call the police Nakamura-San, those guys are back." Keito said and Hanzo turned to look out of the window.

In the months he'd begun working here he'd been aware of the upstart boys who loitered at this time of night. Four boys that ranged from ages twenty to twenty three. They were obviously friends, obviously lived in the area, and were obviously up to no good. Hanzo had seen them eyeing the shop a number of times, mostly when Keito was on shift. They thought he was alone and might be an easy mark for robbery. Hanzo kept out of sight mostly, so only the most regular of customers had seen him. So far, they hadn't pushed their luck. 

But this night those four boys were not eyeballing Keito. Instead they were looking down the street. Hanzo looked to his watch and frowned, it was about time for the daughter of Kurosawa Keigo to get home. Kurosawa Michiko was a spirited girl one year older than Keito and two years younger than Machiko, the eldest sister.

Sure enough the young middle daughter of the family ambled down the street on her phone. She wore a plain skirt over woolen thigh high socks and a heavy sweater under her jacket. Autumn had truly set in now, judging from her appearance. She must be here for her nightly snacks. Same time, every night, at eleven pm. 

Normally Hanzo made himself even more scarce, as he knew he scared her. Since part of the girl had enough sense to recognize him for what he was inside, he stayed out of the girl's way. The family had assuaged the girls unfounded fears, but still stood up for him. Hanzo hadn't wanted them to though. Her apprehension, though clueless, was spot on. 

He _was_ a murderer after all. 

Normally she would come, and Keito would warn him. Hanzo would find the inside of the coolers in sudden need of cleaning, or a break was in order. He'd seen on the cameras over many nights that these boys outside would hover, perhaps cat call Michiko, and get cursed at in return. This was not a normal encounter though. This time the boys surrounded her.

Keito yipped from where he stood and raced out of the store yelling. Immediately he was subdued and Michiko was grabbed by one arm. Hanzo sighed and looked forlornly back to the break room. He turned and exited the store while taking his apron off.

"Come on, just a little kiss." One of the boys cooed at Michiko holding her arm to keep her from getting away. Hanzo kept silent, no one had noticed him. They were too focused on Michiko who was shrieking in fury. Like a cat spitting and hissing at someone who'd grabbed her tail.

"Don't you touch my sister!" Keito shouted from where he was being held by two of the four boys. The third laughed and bounced on his booted feet.

These boys were young, arrogant enough to think themselves invincible. Hanzo had been this way once, even he was younger than even these boys. Genji as well. But their father had humbled them both. Intimidation was not the same as real power.

"Shut up stock boy!" The third boy lunged, driving his fist into Keito's stomach. And that was enough. Hanzo stepped forward into the street light and caught the fist swinging back for another punch.

"What the -?!" The boy twisted and Hanzo broke the young thugs wrist with a twist of his own. The boy went down squeaking. Arrogant, but unused to the pain that taught one _true_ intimidation. Emulating the scarier men in the dark, but not having the real power those men weilded. Hanzo had been one of them for longer than these boys had probably had hair on their cocks. 

The two boys holding Keito stared in shock before they dumped their captive to the ground. Hanzo stepped towards them and slipped past their swinging fists like water. Far too _slow_. They had never fought anyone but the weak before. They were high on perceived greatness.

Hanzo stooped and drew Keito to his feet. He adjusted the boy's fist with deft fingers. "Thumb out, keep your fist loose. Straighten your wrist, do _not_ bend it." Hanzo instructed. "Your sister needs you. Do not punch for the face, too many bones. The throat immobilizes faster."

Keito's eyes widened and Hanzo turned smacking aside the new punch coming his way. His attacker fell over with all his momentum driven to the side. This freed up the last boy standing between them and Michiko. Hanzo grabbed the boy and threw him over his shoulder. With both of them heaped to the ground next to the third with a broken wrist, Keito rushed the last one. His cry of fury matched only by the surprised screech from Michiko.

Hanzo watched the boy throw an expert punch into the leader's throat. Keito was a natural, Genji had been once too. The last delinquent went down gagging. Michiko wrenched herself free and grabbed for her brother. "Keito are you out of your mind?!"

"I suggest you all take your leave." Hanzo glared down at the boys who scrambled to get to their choking friend. They ran off into the darkened streets. Cowards that knew nothing of changing the tide in a fight. If they were better trained all four of them could have ganged up on Hanzo. They might not have won, but it might have saved them some face.

Hanzo turned back to see Michiko laying into her younger brother for getting involved. The sight sized Hanzo's heart. He been the one lecturing Genji for getting involved in fights Hanzo had walked into once upon a time just like that.

They had been far too trained to be fighting as they did in primary and middle school. Hanzo had scrapped with boys much older than he was. Often outnumbered. Genji had never seen that as fair and felt he had to save his older brother. Seeing his brother bruised and beaten up after they were victorious only irritated Hanzo further. Genji should know better than to get involved. Back then Hanzo had hated how his little brother thought he'd needed to help Hanzo. Now...now he wished for Genji's help more than ever. If only to hear him snark and tease Hanzo. 

Hanzo started for the store when Michiko called out to him. "Nakamura-San!" He turned to look at her as she cradled her brother to her side like _he_ was the one who'd been attacked. "Thank you."

He didn't deserve thanks. It was only...the right thing to do... 

Hanzo nodded even as his mind spat vicious hate at him. What did he know of _'the right thing to do'_? Hanzo was a criminal, born and raised. He'd intimidated business owners, destroyed store fronts, attacked those who owed the clan money. He'd assassinated people he was under contract to kill. Hanzo knew _nothing_ of the right thing to do. How could he know right, when all he was was wrong? 

Hanzo entered the store, put his apron back on, and headed for the coolers. He stocked them, cleaned them, and waited out the last of his shift. When early morning came and he clocked out, he left through the back so no one would see him. He walked the winding route to his apartment, one of many routes he took at random. Once inside he pulled his bow free from the bag and settled in the corner of the one room space. Here he had clear sight lines to the door and window.

He waited two hours as he did every day. By the time the sun rose no one had attacked him. Another day and he'd managed it undetected. Hanzo stood and did a cursory check of the street below and dragged out his futon. Then he forced himself to eat the bread he'd bought the day before. After, he grabbed a bottle of sake and drained it as quickly as he could. He needed to drown out the hate brewing in his mind. The guilt and anguish burned just under it.

 

* * *

 

"Nakamura-San!" Keito grinned happily as he leaned around the pallet to see where Hanzo was cutting the plastic covering away. "There's some home made takoyaki in the break room if you want any."

The notion of home cooked for was enticing all on its own. Hanzo looked up at the boy who had wide adoring eyes directed at him. It had been like this for a week. Keito and Michiko popping up and bringing him food and trying to converse with him. 

"Thank you, I will have some when I finish." Hanzo nodded his head and Keito beamed at him.

Once the boy left Hanzo shook his head. The whole family seemed to think running off those hooligans had earned him such gratitude. They negated to realize the final push had been done by Keito. A fact Hanzo pointed out every time they tried to thank him. The glory of saving Michiko belonged to Keito. 

His shifts for the next few weeks went in the same patterns. It made Hanzo feel overly watched. A prickle of paranoia settled between his shoulder blades. Each time he went out to practice his bow and keep his body intact, it went away. But the moment he walked into the store, it roared to life.

Hanzo felt like he was suffocating under this family's notice. So he planned a short get away that would help alleviate this terrified feeling. He had a stretch of two days and he planted to use them for more than just sleeping and drinking.

Hanzo spent the week planning carefully. He stocked his arrows and packed his bow. He changed into some nondiscrepit clothing with more traditional clothing packed in his bag. He waited until after his shift at the store, clocked out, and used every ounce of his ninja training to dissappear.

He took the earliest train around Ise Bay, down to Mie Prefecture. He spent hours in the early morning winding through Ise city. Then he took the public transit out to the nature preserve. Then it was just vanishing off the trail and spending hours in a silence of his own making.

Tension flowed away and Hanzo was able to pick a decent enough old and dying tree to practice his archery on. Nothing broke through the din he surrounded himself in. Effectively it let him re-center himself. The paranoia was only from the store workers noticing him more than before. No one had found him yet. He was safe for now.

Hanzo spent the night enjoying the chill fall air. He didn't touch his flask once because his mind was focused on being alert. His grief was secondary for the moment. The forest was alive at night. Every sound loud in the midst of silence. He got to feel powerful again for just a few hours. No one could sneak up on him like this.

Hanzo ran the woods in perfect silence. Leaving no evidence of his passing. Eventually the exertion got to him and he climbed into a tree to listen and bring himself to some form of balance. Hanzo didn't feel tired when the sun rose, his relaxation akin to meditation. Reluctantly he packed his bow away and climbed down from the tree he'd chosen to host his night vigil in.

He entered the town and looked for a place to eat before he headed back to the apartment. Hanzo had just managed to dig into some mochi when a man in a wheel chair bumped into Hanzo's side. He was sitting on a bench outside the store right next to the doorway. Hanzo's instincts screamed at him and he shot to his feet. 

"Sorry sorry!" The man looked up from under his low ball cap. "I apologize, still getting used to this thing. It's a new chair."

Hanzo nodded his head in an awkward bow. How did one interact as a civilian again? Obviously not by taking offense at a disabled man. Hanzo pulled his bag closer and the man wheeled inside the shop. Hanzo couldn't shake the feeling he'd just been made. He finished his mochi and left as unassumingly as he could.

Hanzo was just rounding the street corner when a vibrating sensation raked across his side. He jerked so violently in response that his dragons stirred for the first time in months. Hanzo ripped the object from his jacket pocket and stared in horror at a cell phone.

Hanzo had left his old phone at Shimada Castle when he left. He was too fearful of it being used to track him. He nearly dropped it in his sudden desire to run. But he quieted that ridiculous fear. He was armed, he was capable of hand to hand combat with various martial arts. Whoever has tracked him down would meet their end here.

The phone vibrated again and Hanzo gritted his teeth. It must have been the disabled man. If he was truly disabled at all. What did he look like? Dark hair, squared jaw, older. Nothing else save for the wheelchair. He must have put the phone in Hanzo's pocket.

Hanzo needed to get out of sight. He turned and dashed into an alleyway. With skills he'd honed damn near before he could walk, Hanzo vaulted up the side of a storefront and clambered onto the old clay tiled roof. He was thankful he was sure-footed, as any wrong move would send them all sliding off the beams making up the roof. 

The phone vibrated again and Hanzo snarled. If he looked he could gain information. But if he looked he could activate some kind of tracking program. He'd seen it happen, he'd delivered laptops and phones with that kind of softwear on them before. One more vibration sealed the deal and Hanzo tapped to awaken the screen.

He was greeted by a pale blue screen telling him the time, battery life, and the weather. But below it was a message notification. Hanzo clenched his fingers tight around the phone and pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead.

"You do not have to look at the message." Hanzo muttered to himself. "Just throw it to the ground and flee. Pack up the apartment and take the bullet train north."

Hanzo growled angrily and swept his finger over the phone to unlock it. The main screen was bare with nothing but a picture of him walking into the forest the day before. There was a photo gallery app on the screen, and the messenger app. He opened the gallery and frowned fiercely when he saw still photos of himself when he was younger. 

The first photo was of him in his traditional gear leaping over a rooftop. Silken hakama and kyudo-gi, light blue and navy accents. His once long hair flying behind him in a high pony tail. The sword at his back clear as day. The next was of him in more modern clothing. The suit with pinstripes he wore to an off-site assassination planning meeting. Another, in similar clothing, of him hauling Genji from an apartment building. His brother had holed up there for three days in a party stupor. The last...the last was a zoomed in shot taken the day hed damned himself. Of him fleeing from the Shimada grounds.

This person knew too much, whoever this was they had followed him for a long time. Perhaps even now with how hidden he'd tried to be. Hanzo hissed and deleted every photo with a vengeance. He was going to have to see just what this person knew. The message app opened with only one thread. The sender going by an alias.

 

To: Dragon/ From: Kitsune; 2066/09/15; 08:24am

Do not dispose of this phone

2066/09/15; 08:26am

Sorry to approach like this. But I did not intend to put myself in your striking range.

2066/09/15; 08:31am

My name is Kitsune. And I would like to hire someone of your particular skill set.

2066/09/15; 08:32am

Your normal rate of pay

 

Hanzo re-read the text message with a mixed level of emotion. His skill set lay in assassinations. Hanzo had studiously avoided taking on any assassination jobs. First, because it would be obvious who he was. Second, he didn't think he could pro-actively hunt down and murder someone anymore. Defending himself was one thing, taking on a job would put him right back in the place he was when he...killed his brother. A hit bought and paid for with his soul.

 

To: Kitsune/ From: Dragon; 2066/09/15; 08:40am

No

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya know I wrote that little fight scene and all I could think about was this stupid perfume commercial I saw years ago with Kristen Stewart in it. She like tan towards some kind of glass wall and punched it out. Her fist was all bent inwards and thumb inside. Bad form. I just remember how ugh I felt every time it played. Yeesh. No one taught that girl how to throw a punch. Smh


	4. Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo decides to take a job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the developers have said in interviews that some of the science in Overwatch is totally made up.
> 
> I guess that only applies that no one has thought of it yet. So I'm gonna make some shit up and we're gonna run with it. 
> 
> ... For science!

Hanzo glared at the phone the longer he held onto it. The train was moving swift beneath his seat. The temptation to throw the phone away had been strong. But the text he'd recieved after his refusal made him keep it. 

 

To: Dragon/ From: Kitsune; 2066/09/15; 08:45am

Take some time to think about it. The phone is not bugged. No tracking tech. Give it two days. 

 

Two days to say no again? Whatever the fool wanted. Hanzo glared down at the phone and went through the motions of ensuring it wasn't bugged. He wasn't going to chance the software though. He wrote down the only number in the phone and restored it to factory settings with everything wiped off of it. He tucked the whole thing into the cushions of the seat next to him. At another stop he relocated three train cars ahead.

Hanzo then rode the train past his stop and got off before he backtracked in a winding path around to his street. Once in his own apartment he spent a long time sitting in the corner and watching the window and door. Flinching at any sound made in the walkway outside. 

He angrily waited until late into the night before he finally relaxed. It was then he allowed himself to drink again. He silently mourned the peace he'd gained. Nothing had touched him while he'd been hiding in the forest. That thought left him feeling guilty. Genji's death should plague him until he met his end.

Hanzo barely tasted his next swallow of sake. The room was barren save for his tightly folded futon, his bag beneath the closet with his three outfits inside. Beneath them lay his gear neatly laid out. He was avoiding acknowledging his reality. If he could ignore it, then he was living out his atonement the way he should. 

Hanzo looked at his bow bag and reached for the paper scrawled with the phone number of the man who wanted to hire him. In the past he was a sought after assassin. Not only was he a Shimada, trained as a Shimada should be, but he was the best at what he was hired to do. 

Need a politician killed before an election concluded? Done. Need that same man humiliated in the process? Easy. Leave no evidence and trip no alarms? Child's play. Hanzo had competed against other assassins for targets when he was young, just starting out, and he'd won every time. As he got older, all they had to hear was that the Shimada's eldest son was taking a contract and no one would try to beat him to it.

Taking this job could provide him with ample funds to disappear further. But doing so would push him into the role he'd left behind with his Kumicho title. He would have to kill again. Hanzo didn't think he could stomach it. Not with his brother's blood stained on his hands over the blood of his targets. Why was it that Genji's life blood was so much more vivid than the others?

 

* * *

 

Hanzo stepped into the store and tensed the moment he saw Michiko waiting for him near the break room. "Nakamura-San, I brought taiyaki today. Please have some."

"Ah, thank you. I ate prior to coming." Hanzo lied stiltedly. He only ate when he had to. And even then it was only because he knew the alcohol would only carry him so far. 

He entered the break room and tucked his bow bag into the locker with his alias written on it. A plate of taiyaki was sitting on the table. Michiko settled next to it watching him expectantly. Hanzo sighed and obliged her. His stomach rebelled at the sweet taste. However his taste buds rejoiced and he ate the whole thing. He ordered himself not to throw up.

Boss' daughter appeased, Hanzo tied his apron on and set about pulling the list from the back of the door detailing what the afternoon inventory had resulted in. Michiko turned on the small TV and the news blared.

 _'And in other news three well known buildings were set ablaze in Hanamura today. Sources say the buildings housed drugs and illegal weaponry.'_ The sound of the anchor made Hanzo turn. Three pictures sat side by side. Three supply locations that the drug runners had used under Kanata's orders. 

The sight of all the hard work the clan had put in, work he _himself_ had aided...actually did nothing for him. If this had been four months prior, even a day earlier than his duel with Genji, the sight of this would have had him spitting mad. He'd have hunted down anyone responsible, taken vengeance for the slight. Instead he felt nothing, not even a bit of satisfaction. It didn't change anything, his brother was still dead.

Work for the rest of the night was tedious. Grating on his mind and wearing him down. The phone number in his pocket was burning a hole against his thigh. Hanzo studiously ignored it, he didn't want to jump back into the assassin world. He was unoffiliated now, there was no protection other than what he could provide himself. 

Hanzo spent a long time as morning spread across the sky looking at the paper in his apartment. Finally he had to just drown out the warring inner thoughts that dragged at him viciously. When he woke up very hung over it was early afternoon. Hanzo was pleased that the pounding in his head silenced any thoughts that might have plagued him.

Hanzo set out across the town to purchase a burner phone. He input the number and sent a refusal the same as he had sent two days prior. He waited at a bus stop for a reply. After he got one he would trash the phone and number before going to work for the night. Obscurity was what was keeping him safe.

 

To: Me/From: Unkown; 2066/09/17; 5:45PM

I want to try and persuade you. I know you've seen the hits done against your family. Elite members are dropping like flies. I need your help before they're done. 

To: Unknown/From: Me; 2066/09/17; 5:46pm

There is no price capable of bringing me back in.

To: Me/ From: Unknown; 2066/09/17; 5:48pm

The target is a known associate of your family. One who has taken someone extremely valuable to me. 

 

And if that didn't just hit Hanzo square where it hurt. Before everything got so bad he had retrieved Genji from his own messes. He gone along when Genji had been kidnapped as a child even. Something Hanzo hadn't participated in directly at the time. But he'd gotten the lesson anyways in punishing anyone who would hurt his brother. 

Someone under the Shimada banner had taken someone important to this man. Important enough to warrant him trying to appeal to Hanzo directly. Genji would have taken the job as soon as he'd heard it. Retired from assassinations or not.

The pictures on the previous phone nagged at Hanzo's mind. How long had this person been compiling evidence to sway Hanzo? Those pictures were damming enough. He could very well go to the Shimada Elders and bargain for his friend with information about Hanzo being in Ise City alone. Why go this route instead? 

 

To: Unkown/ From: Me; 2066/09/17; 5:50pm

Why not bargain my location for your friend? 

To: Me/ From: Unkown; 2066/09/17; 5:51pm

There's no gurantee they'll release them. I can't trust them. You were reasonable even before you left. I would have bargained any way I could. Now you're free and you're the only one who can get in and out like a ghost. 

To: Unkown/ From: Me; 2066/09/17; 5:55pm

Who is it you're looking for? 

 

There was a long moment of no communication. Hanzo wasn't expecting a response for a while anyways. If an associate of the Shimada-Gumi had taken someone it was for a reason. Human trafficking hadn't been their trade for longer than even his Grandfather had been alive. So this person had another type of value.

The drug trade wasn't as cutting edge as the weapons trade in the Shimada-gumi. Money flowed in both directions. Protection money even more so. All of Hanamura paid to the clan. There had been noise in the week before he fled now that he thought about it. That an elder had been in contact with someone for new weapons development. Promising a new avenue for their buyers. 

Hanzo growled as he tried to remember what was said in that meeting. He'd been focused but seperate as he tried and failed to reach Genji for the meeting. Something about an off-site storage bunker in the mountains near Osaka. Possibly selling to the Triad, even to select Omnic terrorist groups. That had gotten an argument going about the Shimada-Gumi willingly doing business with terrorists. Hanzo had checked in then, resigned to his brother once again avoiding his duty. Hanzo had been reprimanded for it, as always. They had agreed to sell to other criminal enterprises. But _not_ to outright terrorists.

 

To: Me/ From: Unkown; 2066/09/17; 6:15pm

My daughter. She is a weapons engineer. She mostly works with projectiles and magnetic interface.

 

Hanzo blew out a breath. He been right. She would be isolated until she created just what the Shimada-Gumi wanted. Her handler most likely wasn't linked directly, but through association with the clan. Plausible deniability if this girl was reported missing.

Hanzo wanted to refuse the job. This woman had been in the clan's clutches for months. He had no idea what she could have made for the clan in that time. Genji would have taken this job though, without all the fuss Hanzo had already put up. That decided it. 

 

To: Unkown/ From: Me; 2066/09/17; 6:32pm

I'll take the job.

On one condition.

You wipe all traces off me from your possession. 

To: Me/ From: Unkown; 2066/09/17; 6:33pm

Done.

We need to meet and go over the details. There's a safe house in Ise City. I'll send the address. Come as soon as you can. 

 

Hanzo looked down at the address before he wrote it on his notepad and trashed the phone. He then took the next bus in a circuitous route past his stop before doubling back through the dark alleyways. Only then did he go to work.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo's curiosity got the better of him the next day and he ventured to a cyber cafe. He chose an out of the way corner and tuned out the gamers shouting into their microphones. He was in such an area that he would notice anyone coming towards him. Safe enough for now.

Hanzo settled into the seat and logged into the station. He swept through the news in Hanamura and learned a number of the operations had been attacked. Supply runs were siezed in melees on the streets right outside the castle grounds. Within those supply crates, turned over to the Japanese government, were large shipments of weapons, drugs, and even money.

Hanzo scoffed at how brazen it was to have the shipments come to the main house directly. Foolish. Then Hanzo saw why the shipments had been directed to the Shimada Castle proper. Their known properties had been assaulted. Reports detailed buildings of a number of their supply houses with illicit goods inside.The buildings that had caught fire were due to the contents inside. Flammable items caught in the firefight most likely. More than the media had covered on television. So only the arson had caught the public eye. That was bad for business, but so was murdering one of the last heirs to the dragon's bloodline. 

Hanzo blew out a breath and did a few satellite searches of locations not hit by the attacks. He didn't know who the clan had pissed off but this distraction might be what he needed to find his target. The more obscure locations were still intact. He wondered if the elders were holed up in the castle, or if they had gone to ground. Perhaps they thought _he_ was the one staging the attacks.

Hanzo wondered if he should feel something about the destruction of so much work. He felt nothing but a faint trace of satisfaction seeing how extensive it was now. To cause the clan to lose something important was pleasing in its own way. After he'd had time to process that the clan was being dealt is own brand of karmic justice. It wasn't even close to the scale of what _he'd_ lost though.

Hanzo made mental note of the safe houses that were untouched. If he had to get information from an elder he would do so. He wiped the computer and logged off before leaving to catch the train to meet his new employer. Hanzo no longer called the shots on his jobs. It was...an adjustment.

He was little more than a disgraced mercenary. It was almost an insult to his skills to call himself that. But Hanzo was not in the habit of inflating himself. He was capable, that was all he was now. There was no honor in his soul anymore. But maybe...if he did this job like Genji would have...he might be able to atone even a little bit. Until he could atone fully, he would take orders like a good soldier. 

That was the thought that took Hanzo back to Ise City. He traveled to a house deep in the recesses of the city. It was one where no one paid attention to anyone else. In the way that it was nice, but not so nice that neighbors were vigilent of each other. Hanzo ducked his head under the hood of his jacket and passed into the gate of the house. He entered and found the entryway only held a single pair of shoes.

Hanzo toed his boots off and stepped up into the lit corridor leading inside. There were no furnishings, an empty shell location. It would be easy to leave no trace here. A good location to talk preliminary planning for a mission. Hanzo stopped just outside the first room on his right. 

The man who had bumped into him was waiting in the main room. Sitting on the tatami floor next to the wheelchair, he looked very much the image of an invalid. Hanzo might have believed this man's projected image, if he wasn't paranoid as all hell. He saw the gun tucked into the pocket of the jacket, dragging it down with its weight. And the knife hilt poking just out from behind his waist. Still hidden, but that's what it would be.

Hanzo stalled in the hallway instead of entering. His hand flexed over his bow bag anxiously. He hadn't counted on feeling like he was lost. Meeting a client was easy, impersonal until they spilled reasons for their job. Often his clients were more afraid of his reputation than they were of him. _This_ man had no fear in him.

It was a trap. 

Hanzo dropped his bag with his bow in hand and an arrow in his fingers ready to be nocked. "You are not in danger here Shimada-San."

 _Shimada-San_...the name tasted like poison. It could only have been made worse by a more respectful honorific. _Sama_...or _Dono_. Hanzo felt bile rise in his throat at the stark realization that that recognition no longer gave him pride. He was no representative of an honored bloodline. The Shimada name had anyways been soaked in the blood of their enemies, now it was soaked with the blood of one of their own. With _Genji's_ blood.

"I am not a _Shimada_ anymore." Hanzo spat. His throat felt dry, the walls felt too close. He forced the panic down and miraculously his dragons stirred to bring him clarity. Their silence had been a punishment for his actions towards his brother, and then himself. A punishment he deserved. He calmed under their comforting influence. "You may call me...Hanzo."

"Hanzo-san then." The man nodded. "I am Kibutsuji Mujin. It is an honor to meet you. I knew your father once."

"My father...?" Hanzo had not thought of his father outside of his first month on the run. The dissapointment he must feel in the afterlife. He had been a paragon of control of the clan. He had been able to reign in Genji at his worst, and silence the elders in turn. He would never have been pressured and convinced to murder Genji. Hanzo was an utter failure in every way.

"Yes, he used to smuggle supplies to us, when we fought against the Omnics swarming from the Omnium. When Japan had closed ranks at the wall to keep the enemy from advancing beyond measure. He and the clan snuck through the back lines to deliver relief to those of us in the war zone." Kibutsuji looked at the wheelchair with a wistful expression. "It was a brutal wasteland out there. Left by the government and the people, our saving grace came from criminals. But those are days long gone. Your clan is not what it was then. It stopped being that way after the crisis. There was leverage to be had, they took advantage."

"You were a Samurai Soldier." Hanzo breathed and felt his eyes widen. There were maybe five of them left in all of Japan. Unlike the super soldiers the rest of the world had helped foster in the Crisis, the Samurai Soldiers were not enhanced. Not many other countries were able to defend their borders like those with super soldiers. The JSDF had kept order inside Japan, but they had their own kind of war zone. Between the Omnics swarming out of Japan's Omnium, and the giant underwater Omnium between them and Korea launching attacks, even they'd been overwhelmed. Out of that came the Samurai Soldiers. 

Samurai Soldiers were not like their historical counterparts, thought they lived by many of the same tenets. Samurai Soldiers were expertly trained and were the most elite of the elite. Firearm proficiency, sword skills, and tactical genius all wrapped up in the average person. Many of them lost their lives defending Japan. After the Crisis ended and Overwatch took over maintaining peace, the Samurai Soldiers vanished into obscurity. Respectful and quiet. 

Hanzo came from a long line of ancient Samurai and Ninja. Both sides of the clan had deep ties in both. He bowed his head respectfully to what was a modern Samurai in the flesh. He was unworthy to be in this man's presence. He was a war hero.

"I was, once." The man patted his chair with a relieved smile. "This is better, a second chance at life with my family. I didn't have to run into the darkness and leave them behind...anyways, the job."

Hanzo relaxed his grip on his bow and nodded curtly. He sat down between the hall and the main room. Clear sight lines let him settle enough to conduct business. He needed the full scope of what this job would entail. Rescue operations were not necessarily easy. Hanzo had conducted plenty through his years. Kidnappings had happened in the clan frequently. From the time he was a teenager he'd been assisting, and eventually leading, the jobs that returned clan children or members home. He could do this mission.

"I remembered something similar to your child's circumstance. Is the location near Osaka?" Hanzo asked.

"Yes, in the mountains. On the roadside it just looks like a way station on the road through. But underneath is a bunker. My...My husband has scouted the site inside and out." Kibutsuji said and pulled a tablet free for Hanzo to look at. It slid across the floor to him and Hanzo booted up the findings. It was a large space, four floors deep with a wide sprawl underground. "He could not reach Megumi when he did the initial surveillance. The wing she's kept in isn't accessible by anyone but Sakai."

Hanzo looked it over again before he tucked the tablet into his bag. He would go over it on diet detail when he was alone. "Why did they want her?"

"Megumi is only eighteen, but she's a prodigy. Her mother...died after the Crisis. Kano and I met shortly after I was released from service. She finished school before she was a teenager, college faster than that. She's been courting government contracts to aid in the country's defense forces. If she were to be successful she could sell her products to the whole world."

"Are any contracts in effect?" Hanzo asked. He did not want to step into anything involving the government directly. He could be arrested. While he had never been charged with any crimes, there were plenty of clan contracts that would pin each and every assassination he'd ever done on him. Being caught was a death sentence.

"No, she was taken before she could finish negotiating. She has a number of theoretical ideas the government wanted to test. Most were designed to help us defend against another Crisis." Kibutsuji answered. "We weren't the worst area to be hit in the Crisis, but we had our share of difficulty. Megumi was working on a scatter projectile that caused less damage than a mortar shot would. Explosions cause large scale destruction, her proposed solution didn't involve explosives at all. On impact her weapons cause a release of small super magnets that shoot miniature projectiles in all directions. She has another project that would even shoot biotic field medicine. A long distance way to give aid to troops behind enemy lines, in _large scale_."

That was impressive. He wasn't boasting when he said she was a prodigy. The demand for weapons like that would be well worth the trouble of kidnapping. Even criminals wanted weapons that could limit destruction, or even heal. 

"I can assume the clan wants the technology for itself to sell to the highest bidder. With all that's happening to the the clan's holdings they will want to replenish funds to maintain partnerships." Hanzo spoke and looked at Kibutsuji. "Do you know how long she been captive? If they have managed to manufacture anything?"

"Months, since before the castle massacre. Kano said he'd seen some kind of prototype they managed to fashion, but that was all. He thinks Megumi is using code to hide her calculations. There hasn't been any kind of shipment, yet. I want to say if they've gotten further ahead to destroy anything they've manufactured. But the priority is Megumi." Kibutsuji rubbed his chin in a nervous motion.  "I can...deal with everything else after."

"So Sakai Ishin is in charge of this operation. He isn't directly linked with the Shimada in a way that he won't betray any deal they had in place. Given the right number he'll go back on anything. With the destruction happening to the clan, he'll be looking for a new material supplier." Hanzo thought for a moment. Simulating a number of scenarios in his mind. "It might be a perfect time to do this, any Shimada-Gumi members there will be confused as to the chain of command. Sakai himself will be anxious for new backing on his enterprise."

Hanzo most often went into his jobs with a sword and many blades weapons. He was changing everything up by giving up his sword. Testing his ability wasn't a good idea with a new weapon with limited experience with it. But if he did it right, planned effectively, he could avoid fighting the entire bunker. His plan would need to be good. 

"So, you can do it?" The strange anxious tone in Kibutsuji's voice drew Hanzo up short. He'd been so sure, stern even, for this whole exchange. But his concern was founded. 

Hanzo looked up and saw Kibutsuji's eyes. It hit him hard, this was a look he'd seen only once. When Genji had been kidnapped. His mother had looked at his father with eyes like that. All the strength and skill in the world paled in comparison to the fear of losing one's child. Sojiro had met her gaze with the fierceness of a dragon. Hanzo looked up and met Kibutsuji's eyes. "I will bring her home to you, I swear it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags have been updated to reflect the current state of the fic.
> 
> There was a timeline discrepancy in this chapter. Megumi is 18 years old. And the omnic crisis ended 26 years ago. There a seven year gap I failed to account for. My bad everyone! Fixed. She was born after and her mother died. So Mujin was released from service already and coping post crisis.


	5. Steady On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo firms his grip

Hanzo spent the night in the safe house. He poured over the gathered intel. This Kano person was very skilled at surveillance. Compiled were rotation schedules that were getting updated each time the shifts changed. Kano was still there, taking note of each discrepancy. Megumi was his child as well it seemed. He would not leave until she was escorted from the building.

Hanzo began planning three possible escape options. It all hinged on him being able to get both Megumi and himself out. Hanzo was not worried about being stealthier than ever on this mission. He was an expert at it. No, he worried about what would happen if they were over run in the escape. With a sword he could cut through every person listed on the roster in a moment. With his bow...Hanzo was not sure if he could help them escape cleanly.

Doubt was not an option right now. He would either succeed or he would die dragging Kibutsuji Megumi to the grave with him. And that was unacceptable. Meeting his own death was one thing, but he would _not_ endanger another. Not again, not anymore.

So Hanzo formulated his plans. Then he hammered them out with Kibutsuji. Kibutsuji would rent an escape vehicle and park it on a side road going down the mountain. With a discreet EMP strip left on the only road between the hidden bunker, and the escape vehicle. Anyone pursuing them would find their hover vehicles stopped abruptly.

He hoped the subsequent route through Osaka that would get them out of sight. A place to change their vehicle out and skip through town to drive to another. There they would deviate to a train for a longer route away. It would have to do, Hanzo would ensure a clean escape. 

"And you're certain you can get in and out no problem? You don't want any cover fire?" Kibutsuji asked as he looked over the highlighted routes.

"No, it would be best if I go in alone. Quieter." Hanzo said blandly, but inside a whirlwind of unease dragged at him. He was going to need to center himself. A mission in this state was a recipe for disaster.

"What are you going to do to get in?" Kibutsuji pressed and Hanzo hummed non-commitally. He would not be sure until he saw exactly what this Kano person was seeing. Hanzo would need to scout the exterior himself.

"I need to return for work in the evening. Tomorrow morning I will tell my boss that I need a few days off." Hanzo turned and headed for the door. "We will leave by mid afternoon."

"So soon...alright!" The hope in his voice pierced Hanzo as well as any knife would have. He was not deserving of that kind of hope. Hanzo should not inspire any kind of faith.

Hanzo retreated to a back room of the house to settle in to wait for morning. He itched to retrieve the bottle of sake in his gear bag. But he refrained. Instead he settled to his knees and quieted his mind. He pushed away his crippling guilt, his blistering self hate, and his anxious fear. He sank deep into the place he needed to be to meditate. It was here his dragons awoke as they had when they calmed him earlier.

 ** _'Master.'_   **Udon greeted. ** _'We've missed you, Master.'_**

"And I have missed you both as well. Your silence has been a deserving punishment." Hanzo whispered to the blue dragons that hovered before him. They both condensed until they were the size of cats. Both clambering onto his lap and curling up like a pile of snakes.

 ** _'You're not drinking.'_ **Ramen purred as he nuzzled against Hanzo's stomach.

"No," Hanzo tried not to let his upset rise anew. With the death of Genji he had turned into a drunkard. It was the only way to stomach his guilt. To live in atonement as they had ordered him to. Unhealthy, and shameful. 

 ** _'We have to kill again?'_ **Udon asked.

"I hope not to have to spill blood. But we will be rescuing a young girl who was kidnapped by Sakai. The clan is running security for him." Hanzo explained. Their fury rose within his mind. He closed his eyes to shield himself from it.

 ** _'Kidnapping?!'_** Ramen growled.

 _ **'And after the human trading was abolished.'** _Udon turned his nose up in disgust. Hanzo reached out to trail his fingers over their bodies.

"I was hired to rescue her. Can-..." Hanzo stalled. He was unworthy of asking for their assistance should it go wrong.

 _ **'We will help.'**_ Udon said resolutely. Ramen agreed by latching into Hanzo's hand with his small paws and purring.

"I-..." Hanzo stopped again, words choking in his throat. The fear he'd carried the moment he'd agreed to this mission swamped him. It had been a while since he'd had to defend himself. The store was a safe haven, his paranoid pathways to his apartment ensured no one followed a trail. He trained daily, he had not slipped in his physical fitness. At least not enough to impair him. If they found him he could fight. But he didn't want to be found at all. 

Hanzo steeled himself to say what had plagued him through his self-hate fueled fall. His dragons had always demanded his honesty. So he would give voice to his internal concerns, "I fear I am not up to it. That I will falter, that I will become the monster I am trying to drown in my drinking. What if I cannot save this girl?"

 _ **'Master...'**_ Ramen released him and hooked small claws into his shirt before wrapping around his shoulders.

 _ **'You will not falter.'**_ Udon said with conviction. The wash of pure belief scorched the barren wastes inside him. A poison in his soul being burned away slowly. _**'You have agreed. You never go back on your agreements.'**_

If only that were true. Hanzo had gone back on his oath to protect his brother always. Instead he'd murdered Genji. His dragons trilled at him and nudged his beard and cheek bones. Distracting him from the path his thoughts might take.

 _ **'Meditate Master, commune with silence and quiet the turmoil inside you. Then you will storm this den of human snakes. You will save this girl and redeem yourself. Even if only a little.'**_ Udon spoke with honest intent. Hanzo was desperate for that path to take. Ramen licked away a tear that had spilled down his cheek.

 _ **'Maybe get rid of this beard. It's scratchy.'** _Ramen complained and it startled a chuckle from Hanzo. His hands flew up to catch the sound. It felt so foreign on his lips.

A knock sounded on the door and a great scuffle broke out on his torso and lap as both dragons tried to stuff themselves into his sleeve. Hanzo sighed and sent his awareness to his tattoo to draw them back into it. They seemed to think they were more solid and forgot they were ethereal spirits. Hanzo shook his head fondly and got up to open the door. 

"Sorry to disturb you Hanzo-San, but it is dawn." Kibutsuji was sitting in his chair again and Hanzo nodded curtly to his employer.

"My thanks for allowing me this time to think. When I arrive at the site I will find you at the escape point. At that time I will need the location of Kano. I hope to scout my path inside before I act." Hanzo spoke his current plan. "The guard shifts are invaluable to making this happen. Thank you for all intel leading up to this."

"Oh...uh, we just want to do everything we can to get Megumi back." Kibutsuji's hands tightened on the wheels of his chair. "If I could still walk, I would have torn the whole place to the ground."

"You could have asked that of me." Hanzo looked aside. 

"I think -," Kibutsuji started and paused as of he were chewing on his words carefully. "I think you've had enough of people maneuvering you into killing others."

Hanzo stiffened and he had his answer as to if his employer knew exactly what Hanzo had done to his own brother. Perhaps not everything, but enough...too much. The surveillance provided to start this whole endeavor was enough of an answer to that. Hanzo looked down as his shame returned. 

"I do not know why you decided to trust your daughter to someone like me. But I will see this mission through." Hanzo swore. With that he shrugged his gear bag onto his back and headed for the door.

 

* * *

 

Leaving the store for a few days was simple enough. His lie was easy enough to craft by telling the owner that a family member had died and he was leaving to assist with funeral planning. They were still so grateful that he'd helped defend their daughter's honor that they told him to take as much time as he needed. His job would be waiting even he returned. Their kindness was blinding.

Hanzo worked his shift and spent his time after preparing his gear. He tucked a black kyudo-gi into his gear bag and the matching leg wraps and tabi boots designed for silence. He inspected each arrow and sharpened the edges precisely. He carefully mended the fletching and settled a large amount into the quiver. The rest he packed to be set in the escape vehicle.

At the silent urging in the back of his mind Hanzo finally went into his small meager bathroom. He looked at himself with a grimace. His eyes were sunken but not bloodshot anymore. His cheekbones were sharp with less fat from improper eating. He maintained rather than being on top of his nutrition. His hair was still uneven and ragged. His beard even worse. Hanzo groaned and looked at himself. The result of all of his wrongs.

 _ **'Shave it.'**_ Ramen urged mentally.

"It disrupts my face shape. Any surveillance system that captures me won't link it to the public profile they have on the Shimada heir." Hanzo explained. "I don't need anyone thinking I'm still alive."

 _ **'Hate it.'**_ Ramen sighed. _**'You had such a pretty face.'**_

Hanzo startled before a sliver of masculine pride surged. He was a man, men were not supposed to be... _pretty_. Hanzo had half a mind to leave it as it was just to spite Ramen for his preference to Hanzo's looks. Udon just chuckled in amusement and Hanzo left the bathroom to fish through the bag he'd taken from the castle. His grooming kit was still inside, untouched for all these months.

He stepped into the bathroom and took a hot shower that unwound his muscles. He refused to let his negative emotions come in to shatter the calm space he was building. He would fall apart again _after_ he had sucessfully gotten the Kibutsuji family out of the clan's notice. If he did it right, played it safe and smart, he wouldn't have to give up his current safe place. 

Hanzo evened his hair out with deft hands before he pulled the damp locks up into a tight tail. A length of his bangs, still too small for the tie, fell over his face and he just tucked it behind his ear. Hanzo examined his face and edged his beard into something sharp and concise. He thinned the wild hair into a respectable goatee.

Hanzo inspected his face and saw nothing of the young scion he'd been. Nothing of the long haired prince of a yakuza empire. He felt like these four months had aged him greatly. If anyone who knew him saw him now they would be confused as to his identity. 

 _ **'Much better,'**_ Udon cooed in Hanzo's mind.

 _ **'I guess.'** _Ramen pouted.

"You must pick and choose your battles." Hanzo stated and once again felt startled by the easy banter between his dragons and himself. When had he last done so? Months before the duel, right before his parents died.

Rather than letting himself fall into despair and doubt, Hanzo left the bathroom. He dressed in a tight back long sleeve shirt and jogging pants. He gathered his jacket and gear bag. He nodded to his apartment and shut everything off before leaving for the train station.

 

* * *

 

The city of Osaka was to the north west of the mountain range Hanzo found himself in. He closed in on the mountain pass that housed the small way station with no real name. It was little more than a small plateau that held a gas station and a pump house for water, and a small building for rangers who traveled the parks and mountains. It was beneath it all where the hidden bunker resided. 

Hanzo hummed as he approached from the long way over the mountain to look across the road to the little way station. Hanzo lifted the tablet from his bag and dimmed the lighting to pinpoint exactly where Kano was. He'd already alerted Kibutsuji that he had arrived through a message. The Ex-Samurai Soldier had informed of his own arrival hours earlier. 

Kano was on the rise next to Hanzo's current location. Looking into the site from the right. It would afford an overhead look at the entrance the intel had told of. Hanzo moved silently, keeping a keen eye on the site below. Kano didn't notice him at first. And he wouldn't, not with how Hanzo was erasing his presence actively. 

Kano was an Omnic. His matte black metal body was clothed in paramilitary gear that blended into the foliage. Grays, greens, and browns that disguised his whole form. He looked like many of the Omnics who rallied for Omnic acceptance and peace. That was, he looked very human. No mouth to speak of but a more silver under plating to his head that mimicked the look of a jaw and mouth. Like the celebrity monks, he had glowing dots on his forehead. But there were only three in a triangle. 

Around Kano was an interesting snipers nest. A gun was in his arms, making Hanzo immediately nervous. But he was only peering down the scope. Using it just in case he needed to assist. There was a medical bag next to him which was even more curious. Kibutsuji had said he'd met Kano just after being discharged. Did that mean Kano was part of the military? Japan had not minded recruiting Omnics who had skills. Many had split off from their parent companies after the Crisis. Too many afraid of decommison, or another God Program taking their sentience away. Proving their loyalty and worth yo humankind was the mindset of many of the Omnics Hanzo had spoken to over the years. 

Hanzo started forward and Kano stiffened before turning. The slits to his eye sensors were angled, for a non-expressive face. Despite that Kano's agitation was clear in the set of his shoulders and the curl of his metal hands. "So it's you then."

"Me?" Hanzo frowned.

"Mujin believes you can get in there and rescue our daughter. How do I know you won't just join them?" Kano demanded, and Hanzo felt his eyes widen in shock.

He had not had an opinion on the belief that Omnics had a soul or not. If they could think, they could follow orders if they so chose. The Shimada-Gumi had employed Omnics the same as humans, they had not discriminated. But clearly the thoughts did not extend both ways. Hanzo was a yakuza born assassin. Kano was an Omnic that had developed love for his step-daughter. His worry and distrust was clear. 

"I will not betray my oath to rescue your daughter." Hanzo nodded seriously. "I am yakuza no longer."

Kano seemed surprised. Either by Hanzo's steadfast admission of loyalty, or his recognition of Kano's parental role. Hanzo got the feeling Kano didn't see much of that elsewhere. Omnic rights were still a hotbed of issues everyone had opinions about. Either way he'd done what he could to ensure a bullet from that rifle didn't find its way to his head in the middle of the mission. 

"Tell me of the rotation today." Hanzo redirected the conversation and Kano finally moved from his unnatural stillness.

"The rotation is ten seconds behind. But the entrance below has been opened for ventilation. The construction is makeshift and poor for air flow. Steam came from below about an hour ago. Which means the manufacturing for something has started. I don't know what. From what I could see, Megumi is altering her blue prints to sabotage their creations." Kano reported. "I have seen her work myself, the designs are off enough to fall apart easily. I have something..."

Kano handed him a small device. Hanzo looked up in shock and back over the base. There wasn't a town for miles near here. But at the base of the range there would be a city.  "I don't know if I can plant this without ensuring more casualties. Is it a bomb?"

"Its not an incendiary. It'll wipe all electronic databases. Much like an EMP, it will destroy all saved data in the facility." Kano explained and splayed his fingers. "There are no omnics working for Sakai. Not even any employed by the Shimada are here. The escape point will be outside of it's range. I'll watch until you enter the base then meet with Mujin. After you get Megumi free plant it in the main manufacturing area. I know she's only drafted on electronics. The only evidence of her work is all digitized."

Hanzo was uncomfortable but he took the EMP device regardless. Any tool given was an asset to be used. Hanzo nodded to Kano and set off for the escape point. Hanzo spied the hover truck and came out onto the road so that Kibutsuji saw him. Hanzo nodded to his employer and took off his jacket. He'd changed in the woods before he crossed the mountain to this location. 

Hanzo tucked his clothing bag into the trucks back seat. But his spare ammo bag was set inside the bed of the truck. He unbound one bundle of arrows just in case. With that done Hanzo tapped his fingers against the side of the truck to alert Kibutsuji. He strung his bow and set out into the woods. Melting into the shadows cast by the canopy.

He circled the site twice and made note of the rotations being just a few seconds behind. Hanzo picked a location and sent out the infiltration point on the tablet. With that done he settled it in the pouch attached to his quiver. Hanzo exhaled shakily and looked at his trembling hands. His dragons sent him waves of confident conviction.

Hanzo pulled his arm from the silken sleeve of his kyudo-gi. He shrugged the fabric down and his dragons growled in hungry anticipation. He took his bow back in hand and firmed his grip to stop the trembling. "It is time to act."


	6. The Dragon Awakens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo makes a rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small flash back warning. It's not a big one, not yet at least.

There was no fence to scale, but it felt like there was still a hurdle to climb. With the growing twilight extending the shadows, Hanzo waited for the perfect moment to sprint from the forest to the large fuel tank. From there he made it to the ranger station. It was empty of rangers, the space was being used as a seperate bunk house. There were four of Sakai's man sleeping inside. Hanzo was tempted to lock them inside, but ultimately decided that would be a danger. He didn't want to alert the changing shift if any came for rest.

Hanzo slipped into the deep shadows around the pump house that drew from the water in the ground. Old locations like these ran from fuel power more than the clean energy many larger cities adopted. He waited for the generator within to click on. Right on time, and loud enough to hide his footsteps on the loose gravel on the ground. Hazards in the way of his sure feet. 

Hanzo peered around the edge of the well house and on queue a guard loped around the corner of the building. Exactly ten seconds behind thanks to his previous shift mate. Kano had called it. Hanzo stepped cleanly behind the man and into another pool of shadows. His patsy none the wiser. 

According to Kano's intel, the cameras were below, and he would need to take care of them. Thankfully the monitoring room was immediately past the hidden  door below. His target now was the doors that led into what was supposed to be a cellar, and instead held a path into an underground bunker.

The gas station was right across the space of two car lengths. The only downside was that the overhead lights clicked on, annoying. His pathway was cleared by his guard escort, but he wasn't the one to worry about now. No, it was the guard sitting on the gas station rooftop smoking. His shift wouldn't change for two hours. 

Worth the risk. 

Hanzo darted to the gas station wall and, with perfect fluidity, he climbed up. Silently, he touched down on the roof at a crouch. He felt eyes on him but knew it was not another guard. The awareness was more for the ground just to the side of him. It was Kano keeping watch and trying not to hinder Hanzo's situational awareness. With that in mind Hanzo crept torward the guard walking the roof silently. He made note in his mind of the guards positions on the ground before he struck like a viper.

Hanzo snuck his arms around the look-out guard's neck and applied pressure. He dragged the man back to keep his kicking legs from drawing notice. Steadily, air was deprived and the man slumped into unconsciousness. Hanzo held on a little longer before he checked the man's pulse. Slow and steady, fully knocked out. Hanzo tied the man up with his flex ties and used the man's tie to gag him further.

His task finished, Hanzo moved to the side of the station that held the entrance, steam billowed up freely. It would conceal his descent, but only so far. Hanzo waited another moment for the guard to come near and round away. Then Hanzo grabbed the lip of the roof and scaled down into the open steamy vortex that was the basement. The steam was originating from an open doorway. Hanzo edged towards it before he deviated behind a large shelf of stock items for the gas station above.

A guard exited the open doorway cursing and wiping sweat away. He didn't head outside, instead he headed up the other stairs to the gas station itself. Hanzo hummed thoughtfully and waited another moment. The guard didn't return so Hanzo stayed low and drew a single arrow to nock and slipped through the door.

A curse was swallowed before it met his lips when he noticed how open the main floor of the bunker was. Lights were on and a large industrial sized fabricator took up the center floor space. Conveyor belts leading to each portion in a lose circle. The finished products were deposited at the end where workers sat putting pieces together at tables near the walls. A hall branched out from there but Hanzo wasn't going down there yet. It was too bright inside, but thankfully no one had noticed him yet. In that the steam was an asset on this walkway. 

Hanzo rushed left, feet silent on the metal grating that would echo if he wasn't careful. The control room was here, Hanzo tested the knob and pulled the door aside just enough to see there was a guard. Only he wasn't paying attention to his cameras. No he was playing a phone game. Judging by the girly goggles coming from the device, it was a romance game.

Hanzo ignored his distaste and entered the control room. There were no windows, no way to tell if this guard was doing his job or not. Hanzo held his arrow and bow with one hand and struck with three fingers deep into the guards neck. A nerve strike that would incapacitate him for hours.

The phone clattered to the desk and Hanzo picked it up with his gloved fingers. He scowled down at it and remembered Genji had played this one before. The obnoxious giggling had driven him mad while his brother complained about the lady he was romancing being a bitch. It was just a game.

Grief stilled his heart for a moment and Hanzo wished he could hear Genji complain about video games again. See his brother walk into the arcade in Hanamura and buy out hours for all the children and teenagers. The concentrated joy on his face as he bested game after game. Hanzo squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to stop the tears. Instead he saved the game, powered down the phone and tucked it into the man's pocket. 

Hanzo shook the emotions away and looked up at the screens. The hallway below led to an elevator. The second floor down contained volatile materials, and manufacturing materials. There were numerous versions of bombs in different states if completion. Something to add to Megumi's inventions most likely.

The third floor housed a testing area. Sakai was there, arguing over a device in his hands. He threw it and it landed without any kind of explosion. Instead it split apart and fell into a number of pieces. She'd kept them from figuring out how to make them shoot off the main body as Kibutsuji had explained. Kano was right then, she was actively fighting against them using her ideas for criminal war mongering. 

The bottom floor sported a locked door near the elevator. With a hand print scanner on it. Hanzo growled in annoyance. That meant he needed Sakai to get through. Just as Kibutsuji had informed. Judging by the model Hanzo couldn't even disable it without it's failsafe locking it down tight. Further in was the cell Megumi was kept in. She had short asymmetrical hair. A grubby t-shirt and overalls tied loosely at her waist. At least she hadn't been violated. Sakai's prisoners were not always so lucky. Hanzo didn't know why the elders always used him, Hanzo had never liked the man's methods. Hanzo had been a complacent fool of a Kumicho. 

Hanzo tracked Sakai as he berated his men. The Shimada guards just looked on smugly, they wouldn't get reprimanded. Not if Sakai enjoyed his tongue. Hanzo would need to follow Sakai in, or force him into unlocking the hall. Hanzo scouted for another path, he pulled the tablet free to consult the blue prints again. No ventilation to get through. It would have to be the elevator shaft. 

Hanzo backstepped to the door and opened it to look up. The base was reinforced at the ceiling. Rafters holding the shape and supporting the structure. Hanzo decided his path and left the office after locking the door from inside and jamming the mechanism. He slung his bow over his shoulder and returned his arrow to the quiver. Hanzo climbed up into the rafters and clung to the shadows there.

The large fabricator made enough noise to cover Hanzo jumping from point to point. Until he lingered just over the hallway leading to the elevator. He then settled to wait, bow returned to his hand, arrow back in place. He watched each guard move with laser focus. The time above might be off, but the guards down here were paying attention.

When the guard closest to him walked past, and the one with a clear sight line turned, Hanzo dropped down and rolled into the hall and out of sight. He raced for the elevator and jammed the edge of the bow into the door. With effort he pried them open by force. He found himself looking into an old metal shaft with a recessed ladder on the other side.

Hanzo returned his weapons to his back once more and jumped over. The doors closed behind him but Hanzo climbed down to the third floor where the elevator waited. He stepped onto the suspended carriage and lifted the emergency exit hatch just a fraction. No one was inside. He wondered if he was going to have to go in and snatch Sakai himself or not.

But fortune favored the patient.

So he held the hatch open to listen and sure enough a moment later Sakai appeared with his Shimada guards. Three of them, child's play. The moment the elevator doors closed Hanzo dropped into the space and slapped the emergency stop button. Such an old elevator didn't even have an alarm to go off the moment the button was hit.

"What the- !" The guard to Hanzo's left started scrambling for a weapon. But Hanzo's hand struck out in a palm strike that bashed the man's head into the metal wall. Hanzo twisted and elbowed the other guard in the neck. He shoved himself into the third and knocked said victim out with a nerve strike. Rebounding from the attack he finished the two that were disoriented with nerve strikes of their own. Quick and clean, his kyudo-gi wasn't even ruffled. 

"You won't get away with this!" Sakai's wobbling voice drew Hanzo to turn and look down at the criminal. Sakai huddled in the corner, then his eyes widened in recognition. "You-! You should be dead!"

"I am not." Hanzo growled and grabbed Sakai by the collar. The man struggled momentarily but Hanzo glared dangerously and Sakai stopped immediately. Hanzo's reputation proceeded him. He tied Sakai's hands behind him and forced him to the corner. Hanzo punched the emergency stop again to release it and then the fourth floor button.

They rode down and Sakai started to laugh. "I see, you want the girl for yourself. Buy your way back into the clan. That won't work, you're nothing to them now."

Hanzo ground his teeth at the implication. He didn't bother to correct this fool. It was pointless yammering and _nothing_ more. The doors opened and Hanzo yanked Sakai over the unconscious bodies and into the hallway. No guards, just as the camera had shown. The arrogance was disgusting. 

"Someone will see this, you won't get out of the building alive. Much less with the girl." Sakai chortled like he'd won a game.

"There is no one watching the feed." Hanzo said and dragged Sakai to the panel. The slim man started to struggle violently. Hanzo sighed and shoved him into the wall once more. "Enough, either you unlock the cell, or your hand does."

Sakai stiffened before he stopped fighting. Hanzo did not make idle threats, so cooperating was in Sakai's best interests. If there was one thing Hanzo could count on right now, it was Sakai looking out for his number one. Hanzo shoved the man into the hand print scanner and forced one palm flat on the door. It turned green and the door slid open. Inside the doorway was a hall with the cell at the end. He unlocked this one as well with Sakai's hand print before he shoved Sakai through. The ring leader fell to the ground with an indignant shout.

"What the hell?!" Megumi shouted from inside.

"Kibutsuji Megumi, I have come for you." Hanzo looked at the young girl. A few years younger than Genji had been. A brilliant mind stolen to be used for nefarious purposes. Purposes that Hanzo had been party to. He would make it right.

"Who sent you?" She demanded.

"The Samurai." Hanzo said and her eyes widened before they watered. She rushed to him and kicked Sakai once viciously in the side. "Do you have the tablet you had to work on?"

She yanked it from the lone table bolted to the wall. He tucked it into his quiver and knelt to divest Sakai of his phone and tablet. Then he turned to the door and Megumi rushed through. Hanzo closed the door, but not before Sakai got in his parting shot. "I'll get you for this Shimada! You won't be able to hide from me! The clan will hunt you until you die!"

"We'll see about that." Hanzo scoffed and slammed the cell door shut. The big metal sealed as the locks engaged and the scanner turned dark.

Hanzo started towards the other door which wasn't locked on this side, amateur mistake in the rehab of this place. Megumi joined him instantly. "My dad's sent you?"

"Yes." Hanzo nodded curtly. 

"Shit, it's been months, I thought they were killed." Megumi exhaled in relief.

Hanzo walked to the elevator and the doors opened when he pushed the button. He saw Megumi look at him in shock and he dragged all three Shimada members out into the hall. Then he beckoned Megumi inside. She then continued like it didn't happen at all. "What about the prototypes? I didn't give them the full ideas, but they'll figure it out eventually."

"Yes, with the blue prints they will. I have something for that. The physical copies your father said he'd handle later." Honestly Hanzo was thinking of setting off one of the bombs on the second floor. But he wasn't ready to kill anyone for anything other than defense.

The elevator went to the surface floor instead and Hanzo hit the emergency button once more. The doors were locked open and Hanzo drew his weapon once more. He sucked in a breath and his dragons became alert, drawing in his energy and sharing their own with him.

"Stay right behind me. But keep low, don't get in my line of sight." Hanzo ordered, and Megumi nodded resolutely. He started forward and waited in the shadows for the guard to cross by again. Different man this time, the rotation had changed. Still on time inside the building.

Hanzo darted to the massive fabricator. The conveyor belts were easy enough to vault over. With machines on all sides he stopped. Hanzo pulled Megumi's tablet out and she edged close to see what he was doing. She grabbed for the data wiping EMP the moment she saw it. She used the tablet to access the programing chip inside. 

"I'm so glad Kano sent this. I put kill chips in all the prototypes for programming. They thought it was code to program the magnet release. Idiots." Megumi had a mad look in her gaze as she re-programmed the device. "Now with the pulse it'll make each prototype and chip spontaneously kill itself. Man I love being a genius!"

With that she handed both back to him and he stashed them behind the machine wires next to them. Sakai's devices followed immediately. He pressed the activation button and started towards the last dusty edge of the machine line. Megumi stayed right on his heels. Hanzo's awareness began to expand. It felt very much like it did on missions before his world became so much darkness. But for all she was keeping with him, it didn't feel nearly as right as it did when Genji shadowed him.

The stairs leading up to the exit were empty, but they wouldn't be for long. Hanzo looked around and huffed in irritation. He'd thought the stairs would be in the open, and they were. They would come out directly across from the security room. Too much time to wait for the next patrol to pass through the exit and down the stairs. The steam smoke was mostly vented out, if the guard deviated to check on the security room they were finished.

Hanzo's hand shook and he made up his mind, the time to act was now. "Be swift, do not linger, make as little noise as possible."

He shot out from behind the conveyor belt and across the empty floor space. All the activity was on the other side. Hanzo got to the stairway and swept his bow across the room. No attention, yet. Megumi clambered up the metal steps, trying her best to make no sound and failing. She cursed and shot him an apologetic look. It wasn't her fault, Hanzo had spent years perfecting the art of moving silently. It didn't matter how much noise she made, no one was getting past him. They reached the top with her still behind him so that he faced the walkway. 

A guard came onto the walkway from the exit. Hanzo drew his arrow back and sighted. For a moment it wasn't a guard he was aiming at, it was Genji. Blood soaked Hanzo wetly and singed his skin with it's damning heat. His dragons roared in his mind and Hanzo snapped back to the present. His mind was playing tricks on him at a crucial moment.

 _Do not falter!_ Hanzo yelled at himself mentally.

Hanzo let loose the arrow just as the man turned and saw him. It struck him in the eye and he slumped to the walkway with a clatter. Hanzo shoved Megumi ahead of him and they raced out the exit door as shouts rang from below. "Oh fuck! It's going to get crazy isn't it?"

"We just have to get to the forest. There is an escape vehicle waiting." Hanzo explained. They reached the storage room and Hanzo forced the hidden door closed and started for the hatch that led outside. He drew another arrow and tried to remember which patrol was going by. The flashback had left him off center. His calculations off again, a single eye blink had nearly cost them their lives. "Shit."

Hanzo decided to risk it. He came out low from the basement sweeping the grounds. He spied a guard to the right. He turned left immediately. Megumi did her best to keep pace with him and not take off. Hanzo kept his gaze on that one man until they rounded the edge of the gas station out of sight. There was a long stretch of open space between them and the forest across the road.

Hanzo knew the guard above would be waking soon. They needed to dissappear immediately. A shout boomed from the basement and Hanzo turned. "Run for the forest, go to the tree line, I am right behind you."

Megumi didn't hesitate, good girl. She beelined for the forest. Good thing too, if she saw the six guards who spilled out of the basement she might have stumbled. Hanzo backed up swiftly. Eyes on the pursuers who shouted and scrambled around the station and grounds. Inevitably he was going to be seen. He chanced one look back as his heels touched the road. Megumi was ducking behind a tree.

"This way!" A guard yelled. "I see them!" All six of them grouped up like a pack of dogs. Weapons out and pointed at him.

Well, if they were going to make it easy.

Hanzo drew the arrow back so his knuckles brushed his cheek. Sighted to the center of the pack dozens of feet away. The power of his dragons roared through him. His tattoo glowing as Ramen and Udon swirled free and looped over his wrist. Their energy rushed through him as powerful as they were when he guided them by sword edge. 

 _**"RYŪ GA WAGA** _ _**TEKI WO KURAU!"**_ Their summoning chant burned from his lips with finality. His dragons unleashed the moment he sent his arrow amidst his enemies. His dragons burst into gigantic swirling manifestations, their great bodies shining with the blue light of his soul. It was amazing the way they streamed for the group of guards. They twined around each other and traced the path of his arrow. Their might rushing through and slaying his enemies where they stood.

Before Hanzo gave up the sword they would wreath his body with their glow, direct him and slash with their might behind his strength. Two swords made it even stronger. As it stood they ravaged the men after him and evaporated into glittering light particles when they were done. Their awareness returned to him in an instant and their triumph made the fatigue worth it. He was out of practice. 

"The dragons are sated." Hanzo breathed and smoothed his hand over the tattoo. That was when he discovered the bow he'd been using since his escape from Shimada Castle was broken. Both upper and lower limbs had been vaporized and were smoking. That was extremely unfortunate.

"Holy _shit!_ " Megumi exclaimed. She was gaping from the tree she was hiding behind and Hanzo huffed in irritation.

"Hang your head out a little further. The snipers surely can't see you clearly." Hanzo admonished and she colored with horror before she ducked out of sight again. Hanzo shook his head and ran to join her. He shoved the remains of his bow into his quiver and took Megumi through a winding path up the rise of the mountain before down the side to where the escape vehicle was.

The vehicle was in sight, undiscovered with how Kano was waiting near the driver side fidgeting his jointed metal knuckles. "Kano!" Megumi whispered loudly and raced towards him. "Papa!"

Kano's head shot up sharply and he took two steps before he opened his arms for her. She barreled into his steely grip and they hugged with the intensity only a parent and child could muster. Hanzo had watched his father give Genji this same desperate hug after his kidnapping. Hanzo didn't much remember his own, only that they hadn't intended to hold him like the kidnappers had with Genji. His father had come just in time according to the elders. Perhaps he'd had his own hug like this once. 

She yanked open the driver side door and scrambled nearly into her father's lap. Her cries of relief and pent up fear were loud. Deserved but attention grabbing. Kano pushed them both over to the passenger seat and climbed into the driver side. "The route is mapped out, Hanzo-San."

"Then let's get far away from here." Hanzo hopped into the back of the truck and took up Kano's sniper rifle. He checked the chamber and blew out a relieved breath when he saw it was still loaded. At least they weren't defenseless. He looked back and nodded when he saw the EMP strip police forces used in car chases layered across the road behind them.

Kano floored the hover vehicle and they shot off into the mountain pass. The darkness would thankfully conceal them. Kano it seemed could see the road just fine because he didn't turn on the headlights. Maybe they would manage to finish this with no more casualties. Hanzo had no way to fight that didn't involve letting his dragons take him. And he was so out of practice with them that it just might kill him to do so. No, they would just have to make sure no one followed them. 


	7. Reassessment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo goes for a drink

"So, how did you make the dragons... _whoosh_?" Megumi asked. Hanzo sighed equal parts annoyed and amused. It was a strange balance that the Kurosawa children managed to elicit as well. A very... _Genji_ sort of way to get under Hanzo's skin quickly. He felt very harassed, and he didn't know how to deal with the nostalgia that elicited.

"It is an ancient family secret." Hanzo gave the answer he used for the Shimada Clan's children who wanted to know when they met him. Genji always had wild stories about how he managed to obtain Soba. His dragon had always delighted in the stories, the grander the better. Grief settled in Hanzo's chest as he thought of them.

"That's no fair, are they like Hardlight? Or some kind of augment?" She peered at him from all angles. Hanzo squirmed, he missed the truck already.

They were nearing Kyoto where they would split up. The night was winding down towards dawn. They had already changed cars once, resulting in Hanzo's unfortunate seating situation. Megumi had shoved her father toward Kano when they reached the second car and looked at him with all the enthusiasm of a six year old with a million questions. Only with the intelligence of a scientist. With Hanzo keeping silent she started peppering him with other questions.

"None of those guards were burning, so why was the bow on fire?"

"How much force were you shooting with? Wait, what's your draw strength?"

"How did you just _know_ those guys were there?"

"Come _on_ Hanzo-San!"

Hanzo sent a harried look through the rear view mirror. Kano had placed his hand to the space where his mouth should be, and looked like he was shaking. Laughing at him then. Kibutsuji was even smirking and looking away. Well that was just great, one of the world's most deadly assassins, brought low by nosey questions. 

"The initial summoning is dangerous even for me. The bow was not meant for use with the dragons." Hanzo answered and tried not to feel like he was sentencing himself to death with that information. "My Bow's draw strength was at 22.68 kilograms, or fifty pounds. And I only knew where any of the guards were because your father and Kano compiled all the infiltration intel."

She was watching him with awe and Hanzo shifted against the door again. Maybe he could just leap out. He'd take his chances with the trains.   

"Megumi, let the man unwind." Kibutsuji chuckled. "And stop working, don't think I don't see you drafting right now."

"No way dad, I can finally get out all the ideas I thought up while trapped there. By the way did you manage to hide my printers and fabricators?" Megumi demanded and looked up from the tablet she'd snatched from Kano the moment she'd gotten into the second transport car.

"All taken to the new site." Kano said and took a turn.

"Good, I think someone who we were in talks with leaked my theories." Megumi said and swirled he finger a bunch of times before she started to tap furiously on the device. "Something happened and Sakai wasn't happy with his current employers. Once he talked on the phone just outside my cell and I heard him say the Shimada's were falling apart. I think he was going to double dip between the yakuza and the government."

"Far more profitable. Any names?" Hanzo asked. He didn't want to acknowledge that his massacre was what had upset Sakai. A Kumicho going rogue the way Hanzo did wasn't commonplace. 

"Inoe, and...Daiki." Megumi chewed on her lip.

"Shimada Inoe is a clan elder." Hanzo closed his eyes. She'd been his aunty once, an elder woman who always had sweets for a young Hanzo and Genji. She had also been the one to express her distaste for Genji's everything. He dyed his hair green? _What_ a disgrace. He was seen with three different people in a club doing rather explicit things? _S_ _hameful,_ to her specifically. She had been one of the first to talk of removing Genji. With all that was going on, if she'd been a buyer, she might have been looking for a way to line her own pockets rather than the clan's. "And Daiki is Kirihara Daiki."

"The Diet member?" Kibutsuji whipped around to gape at him.

"Yes, how do you think my father managed to deliver supplies to you on the front lines and suffer no repercussions? There are a number of political ties the Shimada clan holds. Kirihara is just one such contact." Hanzo thought on what this told him. If Sakai thought he was selling to an outside buyer, then he was being played the fool. Kirihara would have funneled those new weapons back to the Shimada. He'd gotten his position _because_ of the Shimada and the influence they had. Hanzo contemplated just what the clan was doing before he shook it off. He was done with that life, he'd finished _this_ and it was over. He would go back to quietly hiding.

"Then I'm glad we're leaving." Kano shook his head. "If members of the government were going to illegally purchase Megumi's inventions, we will be fugitives now."

"We planned to vanish into the countryside." Kibutsuji placed his hand on Kano's knee and the omnic relaxed. "Hanzo-san, will you be alright wherever you're going?"

"Of course." Hanzo inclined his head. They need not worry for him, their family was what was important.

"Still, this is a burner, untraceable. If you need somewhere to hide that no one can find, call me. The new number is in here." Kibutsuji turned in his seat to hold out a phone in a cheap blue case. Hanzo stalled, did it have a tracker? Kibutsuji could sell Hanzo out to protect his family. What was one engineer versus the last Shimada heir?

"I didn't bug it." Kibutsuji said and chuckled. "It's not like I want you dead. You saved my daughter."

"It is not bugged Hanzo-san." Kano nodded.

"For fucks sake!" Megumi snatched the phone and started looking it over. She took it apart swiftly then put it back together before turning it on. Then she scoured the programming in a way that made it look very little like an actual phone. "There, tracker free, no bugs at all."

The phone was deposited in Hanzo's hands and he flushed in embarrassment. She was a very brusque girl. He nodded to Kibutsuji who just smirked harder and turned around. Kano pulled the car into a long stay lot and Hanzo got out to gather his things.

Kibutsuji wheeled over with Kano hovering and looking around. Megumi pulled her coveralls up and buttoned the front. "Be careful, there will be assassins after you for this."

"They will not be the first, nor the last." Hanzo slung his gear bag over his shoulder and hung onto the other. He was going to change as soon as he reached the subway. "You have your path out of Kyoto?"

"We do, three line changes before we get to the last place. Kano has ordered a car there. Then it's a long route to get to our new home. I want to thank you for doing this. I know it was a great risk to you." Kibutsuji inclined his head before he pulled free a plastic bound booklet. Hanzo took it and frowned when he realized it was an account book. "I had another Samurai set it up. It's anonymous, there's no way to track it, it's a clean account with no ties to any criminal enterprises. This is the payment for the job. I don't think the amount you used to charge is enough however."

Hanzo looked at the sum amount and his fingers tightened. It was more than double his usual rate, more than he could have accumulated in five years working at the store. Hanzo hadn't really taken jobs since he'd become Kumicho. He didn't really want to know how Kibutsuji knew so much about him and how much the clan charged for a murder. "I cannot accept this, all I did was provide a way out."

"It was more than that. You saved my daughter from more horrors than she knows." Kibutsuji looked at him hard and the acknowledgement was understood. Hanzo's world was dark, and dirty. 

Hanzo had ordered things done that would make others horrified. Beating fathers before their children's eyes. He'd killed parents for not paying back what they owed to provide for their families. He'd sold drugs to the susceptible, and eliminated those who could _help_ the victims that made up his profit margin. Hanzo was no fool, had Genji not been put under his blade he would have been the monster that sold Megumi's life and mind to the highest bidder. After he'd bled her genius ideas dry himself.

He did not deserve this money. He did not deserve this war hero's regard. Hanzo moved to hand the balance book back, when Kano whipped Kibutsuji around and out of range. Hanzo stumbled a step, awkwardly holding out the book. "We all come from somewhere Hanzo-san. Good, bad, or worse. It's what we do with the past that matters."

Hanzo gaped at the small family. Kibutsuji lifted his hand to cover Kano's wrist and Megumi beamed at him. He was unworthy of that trusting look as well. Hanzo opened his mouth to argue, to force them to take back the money, but Megumi's hand came up in a wave. "See you around Hanzo-san!"

He choked on their goodbye and dropped his hand defeated. They didn't even let him get in a word edgewise. Hanzo glared down at the book in his palm. He should donate it, right now.

 ** _'We need a new weapon Master.'_ **Udon intoned wisely.

 ** _'I liked the bow, it was different.'_** Ramen giggled. _' **Flying at our prey. Better than the sword.'**_

 ** _'So much better than the sword.'_** Udon agreed seriously and Hanzo shuddered.

"The bow did not last." Hanzo lamented its loss. The black recurve was nice, but he had not helped forge it like he had his family sword. The honored bladesmith had sent Hanzo out to dig his ore from the earth. Then he'd had to take hand in every step. The whole summer he'd spent pouring his life energy and blood into it. He had forged something the dragons had preened over. A gift and an instrument to direct their fury in battle. The following summer he'd returned to create his wakizashi as well. Genji had done the same for his blades.

Even that wonderful memory was tainted by what Hanzo had done with his sword. His wakizashi left in his armory as a message, his sword left next to his top knot in the dojo. Hanzo blew out a breath and fought down the sudden urge to find a bar and drink the nausea away. He forced his mind to more pressing matters.

"Watanabe-Dono will not deal with me now. Not if the clan threatens to kill him." Hanzo frowned. The old weapons master had been stern, disapproving of all Hanzo did. But if there was someone who would give him the right metal to craft with...it would be him. That was why the clan would have him under scrutiny. 

Hanzo shook his head rapidly. He would not bother the old master. Not with the assassins that would come for him now that he'd ruined one avenue of profit. Hanzo tucked the balance book into his pocket and sighed. He would resupply, and stockpile his funds for emergency escape. 

Two days... Hanzo told himself, he would it spend running before he returned to his apartment. In that time he would look for a new bow or maybe a few and pick his way back to safety. The sooner this was all behind him the more balanced Hanzo would feel. Well, as balanced as he could get.

 

* * *

 

 ** _'Pick the blue one, it's pretty.'_** Ramen cooed as he peeked from under Hanzo's jacket sleeve. They were in the middle of a sporting goods department store in the middle of a shopping mall.

 ** _'No no, too bright. What about that one?!'_ **Udon poked his head out of Hanzo's shirt to peer at another one on the wall. Hanzo sighed, he might have liked it better when they were ignoring him. Now he had two wiley creatures, that should be akin to ancient spirit gods, acting like children getting a new toy.

"I will be getting multiple of the carbon fiber ones. There is enough flexibility that it won't break from my draw strength. And if you both destroy them there will be more. They should not burn like the other one did." Hanzo explained. He also liked that he could break them apart for storage and quick assembly. On that note, he was going to need more supplies to have on hand.

Hanzo selected plenty of new string supplies and different fetching fillers. Hanzo spared a few moments looking at the arrowheads and decided he'd have better luck ordering through weapon suppliers for those. Hanzo dropped a small fortune in the supplies before he packed them all up in his bags. 

Weighed down, but far better equipped, Hanzo left the shop to spend the day on a rooftop putting a single bow together. He tested his prepared strings on the bow and was pleased the new bow wasn't off in measurement. He tested the strength before choosing a target across the road. An old wooden roof beam.

Hanzo took shot after shot, and relaxed the tight knot that had built because he'd been unarmed. Hanzo knew that to truly make sure the Kibutsuji clan wasn't followed, he was going to have to show himself. Keep attention on him so that they could leave Kyoto without any followers.

Hanzo leaped to the other rooftop and reclaimed his arrows. He discarded those that had warped from the wood. Hanzo headed for a more familiar haunt. Deep in the very center of Kyoto, the yakuza reigned from the shadows. Not by presence, but by ownership of each and every business lining the streets. Hanzo selected a bar he used to frequent when he was here to talk continued peace and spread goodwill between the Shimada and the Masamune.

Hanzo entered the bar and no one turned from their drinks. That didn't matter, everyone took their cues from the bartender anyways. Hora-San knew everyone in the underground. She was known all across Japan as the eyes that saw all. He approached a corner and her eyes skated over him. No notice, the beard had done its job. Hanzo sighed, he was going to ruin all that hard work.

Hanzo looked around at the dark painted walls enhanced with low electric lighting. Ashtrays sat everywhere and smoke clung near the ceiling. The low tables were full even though it was late morning. It gave off the air of dingy, but he knew how meticulously the image was maintained. This was an information hub. Hanzo shucked off his jacket, he was down to just a long sleeve shirt that he rolled up to his elbows. The small slip of a bartender that was walking over halted and turned to look at her boss. Hora-San looked over and her eyes narrowed before flying open. There it was.

Hanzo settled on the bar stool and she hurried over. Practiced hands pulled a frosted tumbler from a freezer under the bar and dropped a sphere of ice inside. Plum wine followed and she settled it on a dark blue napkin before his tattooed hand. A practiced offering for his dragons. At least, she didn't know that's what it really was. She'd served the same way to his father and Genji with their preffered drinks as well. Udon and Ramen hummed happily as Hanzo lifted the drink to taste pointedly. No poison, she wouldn't insult him like that.

"You must be out of your mind to come here." She hissed, "Especially after what you pulled in Osaka."

"So word has reached even here?" Hanzo huffed, "They kidnapped a Samurai's child Hora-San."

"Deplorable." She poured herself a glass of plum wine and downed it in one go. Her eyes were starting to sag with her age, her black hair already spun with gray. She was still as stunning as she'd been the day he was brought here. Twelve years old and thinking himself big because his father's men were there bolstering the young heir. "Can't blame you for returning the girl home. Painted a target on your back though. I think that's the point though."

"Have they gotten out of the city?" Hanzo asked not confirming or denying, not yet. He finished his drink with a long pull. Hora-San refilled it immediately.

"Yes, no one followed. But they'll come here to see if I know where they are." She looked at him, hawk eyes sharp. Hanzo huffed and took the pen from the bar's napkin holder and a napkin to write her usual silencing rate. Expensive, more than he'd paid to vanish with other information brokers. But it would be worth the price. Hora-San often had final word. Not many would betray her, she was favored by all the yakuza clans. It helped that her brother-in-law was the Kumicho of the Masamune.

She followed up with a nod and Hanzo pulled free his old phone to send the funds before he destroyed the battery and phone chip. He drank once more and she refilled the glass again. The sweet drink warmed his blood, not anywhere close enough to bank the ache in him, but it was a start. 

"It was a foolish thing you did for those sharks." Hora-San said and shook her head. "But it might have saved your life. Word was there was the hit on you before that night. We were all real confused. Might have offered you both asylum, help you retake the clan and off those old bastards."

"Hmm, then I murdered my brother." Hanzo said bluntly and lifted the drink to spin the ice.

"Then you murdered your brother." She nodded and covered his hand with hers. "We all remembered you before all of that. The Shimada Hanzo we knew wouldn't have fallen like that. But you did, scary truth that is. We were certain war was going to break out the moment you vanished. Then the Shimada businesses started to go down. All the public ones, all the ones that profited and controlled the criminal empire."

"I saw that." Hanzo said, he still barely felt anything regarding that. He wasn't there, it wasn't his mess to clean up.

"I thought it was you." She said and drank again. The light caught on the butterflues that were tattooed into her neck. "It was systematic, personal almost. Some informant most likely, because I got word it was Overwatch, some underground branch took the main pillars of your family business and brought it to the ground."

"Overwatch?" Hanzo felt his brows lift. Now, wasn't that something? Hanzo would have happily gone to prison had Overwatch stopped him from murdering Genji. Too little too late.

"I found out they were watching you all. Gathering information and evidence to take the Shimada-Gumi down for good. But then _you_ happened. There was enough insanity going on that they moved in the moment you were gone." She smirked. "Like all empires, it was bound to fall eventually."

"That it was, far too late, but it did." Hanzo nodded and finished his last drink. He didn't like the way his thoughts were going. He thumbed out some credits and left her a hefty sum. No one actually paid for drinks here. Information however, that was what everyone wanted everytime they visited Hora-San. 

"You want them to follow you?" She asked as she eyed the sum on the bar top with a curious tilt to her head.

"Yes." Hanzo nodded. He tugged his jacket on and slung his bags over his shoulder. "Thank you for the drinks, and the conversation, Hora-San."

"Anytime Hanzo." She smiled softly, with a large amount of sadness in her gaze. "Good luck."

Hanzo left the bar and walked casually down the street. Waiting for the hunters to peel from the dark alleyways in pursuit of him. They weren't important. The clan would be called and as the day wore on they would be here. When night fell things would get interesting. Hanzo was counting on it.


	8. Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo realizes he'd been in the first stage of grief: Denial

Hanzo took the liberty of micro-managing his gear once he'd chosen a good spot to draw attention to himself. He condensed his supplies to make it easier to move and travel without needing to put his bags down. Instead the straps criss-crossed his chest and hung behind him. His quiver remained over top for easy access. The new bow was already strung and ready. Hanzo's jacket was safely tucked inside his bag as well, his sleeves were rolled up to reveal his tattoo. Visual confirmation was key here. What was a family that escaped versus Hanzo out in the open.

 _ **'You might need to kill this time.**_ ' Udon breathed into Hanzo's mind, sensing his reluctance. 

"I know." Hanzo flexed his grip on the new bow. It wasn't broken in yet, his calluses might tear open using it.

This was a poor idea, he was going to get himself killed. Hanzo's mind flashed to the information Hora-San had just dropped on him. Overwatch had intervened, an underground branch the public knew nothing about. Speculation was still going around about it. If only they had acted sooner, Genji would still be alive. Hating him, but _alive._

 _ **'Focus Master.'**_ Udon rumbled.

 ** _'If we must fight you need to be ready.'_ **Ramen added in and Hanzo forced his breathing to slow. He urged his mind to quiet of things that were unnecessary. Wishing and wanting things to be different changed nothing of what was real. 

Genji was dead and Hanzo had killed him. 

Hanzo looked up from the bench in the subway he'd chosen to be seen in. He had three sets of eyes on him. Look outs most likely, plants that would lead the Shimada assassins to him. Hanzo watched the last group of people gather on the train platform and leave the station. Predictably someone was holding up any others from entering the station. This was to be a private affair after all. The Shimada were not so crass as to fight him in the middle of a crowded station. 

Rounding the corner was someone Hanzo knew exceedingly well. He walked into the hub with a saunter that had once drawn Hanzo's mouth dry. The lead Shimada member was Inuaki Taro. He was a Shimada assassin, and a damn good one. He'd also been Hanzo's bodyguard when he was a teen. Taro had just joined the clan then. They had been friends, confidants, and lovers. Until the elders found out, that ended any relationship they'd had. Taro was then put exclusively into assassination and Hanzo's Kumicho grooming had begun in earnest. No amount of stolen kisses and fumbling in the sheets had been worth Taro's life.

How the tables had turned. 

Taro sat across from Hanzo and lifted a case of cigarettes from his breast pocket. He flashed his gun as he opened the case to pluck one slender cigarette out. He lit the tobacco and leaned on his elbows. Easy, relaxed, deceptive. Hanzo knew better, because _he_ was better. "How've you been?"

"Is that truly what you wish to talk about?" Hanzo lifted a brow sardonically.

"Of course not." Taro blew the smoke from his nose and tapped the ash to the ground. He still looked good in his suit and shiny shoes.

"So, get on with it." Hanzo rolled his eyes.

"Come home, this whole thing is ridiculous." Taro leaned his head back, neck long and enticing. Hanzo could picture an arrow jutting right out of his jugular. "The men will turn on the elders for you."

"Because of the dragons." Hanzo chuckled and looked away. "What of my crime? I killed my brother."

"Genji did not want to be apart of the clan Hanzo. We both know that." Taro looked at him. That look was one he knew well. There had been many times that they had gone together to drag Genji from some hole in the wall bar. Or out of apartments and beds of multiple people. Genji had done everything in his power to make the clan see him as unreliable. 

"That did not give me the right to end his life." Hanzo growled out angrily. Visions of Genji's smiling child face was superimposed on his shocked dying expression. The moment he knew Hanzo had won. The moment he felt Hanzo's dragons overpower Soba. Hanzo would always see that horrific understanding in Genji's shining six year old eyes. Delusions, but they were striking even now. 

"You have every right to kill whoever you want!" Taro yelled suddenly and Hanzo snapped from his haunting visions. That was dangerous, he couldn't let his guilt get the better of him here. Taro would slide a knife right into Hanzo's neck if he knew Hanzo was distracted. "You are the  _Kumicho_ , born and bred for the role! Your brother? Me? The elders? You order it, you do it, and it might as well be law."

"No." Hanzo shook his head. "No, I am a terrible, weak person. The worst kind that would slay their little brother for nothing more than the words of the old and weak. The Shimada Empire will die in due time with no dragons to hold the seat of control. So it will die with me."

"I see." Taro drew in a long pull of his smoke. Rolling the taste in his mouth before he breathed it out like a great dragon himself. "You know, I married that girl for you. You didn't need that scrutiny with me panting after your heels. You were going to be great, and all I was good for was bloodshed."

"Kirai is a good woman, strong." Hanzo said. Taro had married the woman presented to him by the clan. She's been raised by the clan, their relationship was good and honest. Kirai, had saved Taro's life further, because the moment they were wed, the elders assumed Taro had given up on the heir who held his heart. It had been true, Hanzo moved on as quickly as Taro fell for his wife. "We both know you preferred women to men."

"Didn't matter to me what gender I fucked. But _you_ mattered, I believed in the future you represented more than I liked your cock in my mouth." Taro shook his head and leaned forward. "You would have made us powerful, over the whole country." 

"Maybe," Hanzo _had_ had great plans for the future. Plans the elders had said would never come to pass unless Genji came to heel. The first of many arguments Hanzo had engaged in before they beat his resistance down into complacency. "We will never know."

"Of course not." Taro stubbed out the butt of his cigarette and waved a hand. "That's why I brought insurance."

"Insurance?" Hanzo narrowed his gaze as a stream of Shimada men filed into the station platform. Hanzo stiffened when he saw the four boys who harassed the Kurosawa store among them. Hanzo had an arrow out and aimed at Taro's head the moment the Kurosawa's were dragged into the subway station. Father, mother, and three children.

"Nakamura-San?!" Kurosawa Keigo exclaimed from under his bruised face. They all looked brutalized. Hanzo's dragons roared through his blood as they readied for his call. Rage burned in his chest, foreign in its intensity. 

"Nakamura Shoji?" Taro chuckled, his lips quirked in amusement. "You're good Master, you always were. I wouldn't have found you at all if I hadn't overheard these boys complaining about the new guy at their usual haunt getting uppity. Moved too fast and too slippery for them to beat."

"That was a weak tip." Hanzo turned a snarling glare to the four boys who flinched among the yakuza members who merely tightened their stances. Cowards would run, but Hanzo's former men would die with honor under his dragons.

"Yes, but it was still a tip." Taro stood up and Hanzo adjusted his aim.

"They have nothing to do with me. They were merely a place to hide. You will release them immediately." Hanzo ordered. The unspoken threat was there. He would kill them all if they chose to do this the hard way. 

"See, if you would _just_ cooperate I wouldn't have any more use for them." Taro waved a hand and Hanzo snarled, the hard way it was then.

Hanzo dropped his aim and shot his arrow right into the fleshy space between knee and thigh of Taro's leg. Taro howled as he went down and Hanzo whirled. Three arrows shot in a horizontal line took the guards holding the children down instantly. Bodyshots wouldn't stop them forever, but it was enough for him to line up kill shots. The next two arrows freed the Kurosawa parents, prompting the other yakuza into grabbing weapons and shouting. It was as if he moved too fast for them to comprehend. 

"Do not kill him!" Taro yelled. 

"Get down!" Hanzo yelled and angled his arrow up the stairway and at the rest of the guards. He drew his aim back and his dragons reared in his mind ready and primed. _**"RYŪ GA WAGA**_ _ **TEKI WO KURAU!"**_

Hanzo hadn't eaten, slept, or refueled since his last summoning. He shouldn't have been able to call them again so soon. But he dragged on his soul, pushed every bit of his adrenaline into it. He was going to regret it, but that didn't matter. Not with these innocents on the line. His dragons burst forth, roaring maws chasing his arrow and ravaging the yakuza gaping in terror. The four boys didn't even escape. Udon and Ramen swept through the mass of people leaving the Kurosawa's unscathed.

Hanzo was glad he'd prepared, his bow wasn't burned but it sure did melt both upper and lower limbs. His shirt was hanging in singes from his neck. Tattoo glowing as his dragons returned and coiled ready to try and help again. The drain was too great though.  Hanzo dug in his bag and snapped the three pieces of another bow into place and strung it swiftly. He raced forward where the Kurosawa's were hiding on the ground surrounded by fallen bodies. Hanzo tore his phone from his pocket and shoved it into Keito's hands.

"Come, there is no time!" Hanzo ushered them up the station stairs and Taro yelled after them. His gun went off below and Hanzo ignored it. "Keito! Call the number in the contacts. You tell the person who answers that you were attacked and _Hanzo_ said to help you."

"What was that Nakamura-san?!" Michiko shrieked.

"Those were _dragons!_ " Machiko hissed looking awed and terrified at him.

"Enough, I will get you to the surface and into a vehicle. Then you listen to the man on the phone. He will get you to safety." Hanzo barked.

Hanzo drew rapidly as they neared the next floor and took out the suited men racing towards them with weapons. It's was mechanical, and he was doing well but he was noticing his stark lack of impressive skill now that he was truly in action. He hadn't practiced enough, slacking on the perfection he should have had in this situation. Unacceptable.

Hanzo raced across the ground floor and thanked everything that the yakuza generally kept public eye away from their dealings. Not only had they kept everyone away from the stations interior, they'd scared the civilians off the entire block around it. Hanzo kicked open the stations door and ducked under a swinging fist. He grabbed the hand and yanked the offender down into a high knee. Hanzo swung his bow like a club and clocked another coming at him across the face. He drew arrow after arrow to fell each gangster that ran at them. The last one was down, but Taro would have called for reinforcements by now. 

Hanzo chose a random vehicle parked on the street. The pale tan shade marked it as a civilian vehicle. It wouldn't be bugged or trackable once it hit the highways. Hanzo smashed the glass with his bow and tore the door open. He reached under the steering hub and like all hover vehicles since their inception contained some way to hot wire it. Hanzo leaned down and with a few snapped wires he was twisting two together and sparking the electrical system into awareness. It roared to life and Hanzo stepped back as the hover vehicle glowed ready to drive.

"Nakamura, what is all of this?" Keigo demanded as his wife gathered her children close to them. 

"My past. I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of it." Hanzo bowed his head. "Make sure you call that phone number. Do _not_ go back to your home. It's compromised now."

Keigo looked like he wanted to argue further but a van sped around the corner coming towards this part of the street. Keigo whirled to his family and ushered them into the vehicle. He looked once last time at Hanzo and nodded. He was in the car and they sped off a moment later.

Hanzo sucked in a breath and turned seeing the van emptying of more Shimada men. Taro stumbled from the station and pointed his gun at Hanzo immediately. There was too many of them. Hanzo didn't think he could run without getting pumped full of bullet holes. His safe house was compromised. He couldn't summon Udon and Ramen again. Not without hurting them, their last attack wasn't enough to fuel them, he had no energy to spare now.

"Hanzo! That was a stupid fucking thing to do!" Taro yelled. It was a _'stupid fucking thing to do'_ but it had been the _right_ thing to do. Knowing he'd done something right for once reminded him that helping the Kibutsuji's had also been the _right_ thing to do. 

"I have never said I wasn't a fool." Hanzo intoned and apologized to his dragons. He unstrung his bow dropped it to the ground next to his quiver. "But I'm a fool that will offer myself up to ensure you don't follow those innocent people. Do me this last favor Taro, after all we've been through."

Taro's eyes widened and the raw surprise turned to insult. "I would _never_ have killed them if you had gone along with me! _Now_ look at this mess!" 

"The Shimada once held family above all else. Then I was ordered to kill my own brother, and I did. Any honor we once had is long gone. I trust only my own ability now." Hanzo said and lifted his hands to tuck behind his head. "Let's go see the elders then."

 

* * *

 

It was an ironic turn of events that Hanzo had found himself in. When he'd been young, participating in the jobs the clan dished out, he'd been on the other side of this mess. Hanzo had been the one called in to bring defectors back. Tucked into the cramped interior of a trunk for hours as they drove, Hanzo found the whole thing distressingly humerous.

What had he been thinking? That he could just hide and eek out a civilian living? Do just the _one_ job and return to obscurity? That he could live this way and atone for killing his brother? The greatest of fools lied only to themselves it seemed. Hanzo thumped his head and sighed. Denial was a dangerous thing to poison himself with.

He hadn't had time to think or disparage himself faced with Taro having kidnapped the Kurosawa family. Hanzo had cleared the station and street with the brutal efficiency he had always been known for. He'd felt alive fighting to save the Kurosawa's. He didn't know how many had died, the haze his mind had gone into hadn't allowed for consious counting. Hanzo wasn't meant for civilian life, his darkness had dragged him right back into it.

Hanzo's bound hands shifted to his abdomen and traced over the scar of his failed suicide. Perhaps he should have ordered his dragons to just let him die. It would have saved him the pain he was going to endure soon. But maybe he deserved that too. 

 _ **'I'm scared, will they kill you?'**_ Ramen asked. _**'Where we can't guide you to the afterlife?'**_

"If they are merciful they will kill me outright." Hanzo said and chuckled. "But I doubt it."

 _ **'Will they hurt us?'** _Udon asked as if he were steeling himself for the worst.

"No, for all they will do to me they would never touch either of you." Hanzo explained, but the idea scared him. Hanzo had not been alone in his head since he was a child. If they were gone Hanzo would feel like most of him would die with them. He didn't want to die without them though. "The dragons are revered. Soba was a calculated loss, though she died with Genji. But you both are all that's left because Genji and I have no children."

 _ **'So death will not wait for you.'** _Udon sighed almost in relief. 

"No." Hanzo stroked his fingers over the maw of Udon on his wrist. He tried to calm the fear his dragon was feeling, fear for Hanzo. He was honored by it. "Death, I imagine, is far away from us now."

 _ **'Sorry, we take too much with the summoning now.'** _Ramen sighed.

"That is correct, the blades we forged were imbued with my blood and soul. It was easier for you to pull from that than me. I'm the one that didn't eat after we rescued Megumi. If I had I might have been able to summon you twice. I only have myself to blame." Hanzo lifted his hand to his face and nuzzled his wrist where Ramens maw wrapped around the underside. "This is my fault, I shouldn't have tempted fate. I was so sure we could have escaped onto the next train unscathed. Foolish, I'm so foolish."

Udon and Ramen manifested only their noses to nuzzle him back. Tears fell down his cheeks as _his_ fear set in. For all he knew he deserved his fate, he was still scared. How far would they take it? How far would _he_ have taken it? There was no real way to know.

The car rumbled to a stop and Hanzo stiffened. He urged Udon and Ramen back into his skin and wiped his eyes dry. His heart might be racing in panic, but Hanzo was a master of hiding his emotions. When Taro opened the trunk and a street light glared down at him Hanzo met his gaze as coolly and stoicly as a Kumicho should. 

"Welcome back to Hanamura, Hanzo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to give a warning. I like to put characters through some adversity. Some shit to shape what I think their personality is like. Be ready for that.


	9. Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo loses a lot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As with my previous warning, I like to write a bit of messed up experiences for characters to go through. I like to do bits of character study on how they might specifically adapt, deal with, and heal after such events.
> 
> Chapter warnings: Torture, Humiliation, Waterboardimg, Starvation, Force Feeding, Dismemberment, and the big one. Rape.
> 
> Sorry in advance.

Hanzo knew this place very well. He'd brought people here to be tortured. He'd done the torturing himself as well. But being the one brought in for it was new. A deceptive ryokan that looked as luxurious as an inner city ryokan could look. But there were two floors beneath the ground level. One where illegal dealings and weekly clan gambling tournaments went on. And below that were torture rooms.

Elder Inoe owned the establishment. So it was fitting Hanzo would be brought here. He'd cut off her potential new revenue. She would garner some prime support for her position now that she'd captured the former Kumicho of the Shimada Empire. The _last_ dragon heir.

Inoe was the widow of a third or fourth cousin of Hanzo's grandfather. She'd married in and when her Shimada husband died she took on his role with elegant efficiency. She had the torture work producing information, owned all of her husband's properties, she'd been accepted quickly into his grandfather's regime.

Hanzo's father had inherited most of the elders before his time. Hanzo inherited all of the elders from then. They'd had heavy expectations for him, even heavier for Genji. All of his brother's actions reflected back on Hanzo. He was always left wanting and inadequate before them. Had Hanzo not possessed two dragons they might have gotten rid of both of them the moment his father died. Instead they'd put a hit out on Hanzo in case he _didn't_ kill Genji. Their machinations ran deep. Every avenue for contingency planned for. The only thing that derailed them was completing his task and being unable to live with it.

Hanzo trudged through the back door of the ryokan and through the kitchen into the walk in and through a hidden doorway below. Hanzo walked with his back straight and head held high. His pants were gritty from the trunk, and his shirt was hanging from one shoulder. His entire arm was bare and showing the proof of his identity. His hair was falling loose from its tail. He looked the very picture of disheveled. He wore his defiance with pride, taking a page from Genji's long history of fighting against expectation.

So when Hanzo entered the first basement floor of the ryokan he came face to face with the prim and proper aunty who had scared and awed him as a child. The woman who smiled and pet his hair before offering him a sweet. Who argued the hardest that Genji needed to die or he would turn against the family.

Inoe Sakura had white hair pulled severely away from her face, a cherry blossom hair pin tucked at the crown of her head and dangling beads to her neck. There was makeup on her, chasing the image of youth. But the wrinkles were deep now, stress making them seem deeper. Shrewd dark eyes bore into his as she looked him over, causing an already thin mouth to thin further. His appearance must offend her. She wore a black yukata, emblazoned with gold leaves and matching obi. 

"Welcome back Hanzo." She glared and tipped her sagging chin up imperiously.

"I would say it's a pleasure to be back. But it is not." Hanzo said and tipped his own chin up like a dragon bared its fangs. His were sharper than hers though and she knew it. If she had birthed children to her husband she would have snatched the clans leadership for herself before Hanzo ever drew his first breath. Instead she'd had daughters with no link to the clans bloodline _after_ her Shimada husband died. She bristled the moment she knew Hanzo would not succumb to her will easily. 

"Take him below, ensure the dragons don't help him escape." Inoe ordered. "Then hopefully we can clean up this mess he's caused." 

Hanzo snorted rudely and she whipped around to glare at him viciously. "Do not pretend you had nothing to do with your own downfall." Hanzo spoke clearly and with all the resentment he felt inside. "You ordered me to become the Dragon of the South wind, so I did. Do not be surprised that nothing but ruin was meant to be left in the wake of Genji's death. This is a fate we all wrought together. Nothing you do will regain the Shimada Empire's honor." 

"Of course not." She smiled wide and sinsiter then. Hanzo felt his heart trip the moment her ire changed direction to amusement. She knew something he didn't, and that boded ill for him. "It is only what _you_ do that will regain our honor." 

"Me?" Hanzo frowned, what was she planning? "You cannot make me bleed to regain my honor." 

"We shall see." She turned to go back to the ryokan. "Get it done. Taro, come for your payment." 

Taro limped after her and the other Shimada men came to drag him off. Two of them were omnics, so their grip was unrelenting.  Hanzo spared a thought to fighting, tensed to even do so, but one kick to his legs forced him towards the stairs that led to the torture floor. He was so tired and his body screamed for food and sleep. He couldn't fuel his dragons like this. He was going to die down here.

Hanzo had walked these halls before a session, listened in to others. Never had he been the one stripped naked on the cold concrete. They bound his wrists at the small of his back, the zipties expertly wrapped around his thumbs to prevent him from dislocating to pull free. His shirt was torn off and he kicked the omnic across the room when he grabbed for Hanzo's belt. Furious kicks and punches rained down on Hanzo's muscles before he was divested of his pants and boxers.

Hanzo was dumped into the frigid tiled room that looked three shades more grimy than it had a year prior. Hanzo stumbled on a puddle that clung to his heel and caught himself on the wall with a shoulder. He braced himself but was still unprepared for the freezing cold torrents of water that raked across his body. The roar of the fire hose drowned out even his own thoughts. Laughter cut through as Hanzo was knocked off his feet when the hose angled to his legs. He grunted and curled to avoid having his face blasted, he didn't want to be waterboarded so early into the whole affair.

Udon and Ramen's enraged voices were far away now, and he forced them deep inside his mind. He didn't want them to witness what was to be done to him. He didn't want them to bear through it with him. That would be more than he could take. Hanzo would face this alone, and they would be safe. If he could do nothing else he would protect them. 

Hanzo was dragged sopping wet and shaking to a torture cell with a single chair bolted to the concrete floor. Nothing else was in the room save for the florescent lighting above the chair. Hanzo was deposited onto the freezing metal and it stung his skin on contact. He was shivering and forcing his body to obey by the time his wrists were cut free and bound tightly to the chair arms. His legs were attached at the ankles to the floor.

An omnic suddenly came forward with a syringe of something red and angry looking. He picked a spot on Hanzo's tattooed arm. Hanzo opened his mouth to shout at the omnic to stay away from his arm. But the needle bit into the space the omnic had thumbed and a vein was bulging beneath that metal finger. 

They all backed away as the fire that pooled in Hanzo's arm rushed through him like morphine. His mind spun immediately and everything went sideways. His head lolled wildly and he felt detached from every limb and part of his body. The wet fall of his hair felt like seaweed, and the cold air felt like ice water.

When he came too he was no longer bound to the chair, instead it was a table and his head was angled. Hanzo shook his head looking around. Inoe and her men stood around him speaking. "Wha-?" 

"Oh, you're awake now dear." Inoe smiled sweetly and caressed his cheek. "Look at you, so many mistakes. You must be punished. Then, after you've accepted your punishment, you can repair the damage." 

"I will repair... _nothing_." Hanzo's tongue felt like a slug in his mouth but he put heat in his eyes. Inside his mind, he feared the worst. How long had he been out? He hadn't noticed them moving him. 

"I see." She sighed and tugged a hand towel from behind her. Hanzo narrowed his gaze at her yukata instead. Red instead of black. Had a day gone by, or was she just fucking with him?

The cloth was dragged over Hanzo's face and hard fingers yanked it tight. Hanzo thrashed the moment water washed over his head, he held his breath as long as he could. The water ran up his nose and holding his breath was suddenly useless. Panic took over and Hanzo inhaled the water. It burned his lungs and cut off any breath he might have gained with his thrashing. He choked and struggled as more water was poured onto his face. 

He couldn't see! He couldn't breathe! The hard hands holding him down over the bindings were too much!

Black spots took over Hanzo's obscured vision and his brain shorted out. He passed out in a second. It couldn't have been moments later when he sucked in a breath and promptly coughed up water. He hungrily inhaled the air and tried to fill his lungs with as much as possible before he noticed the men still surrounding him. The wet cloth was dropped back onto his face and a sweet female whisper breezed next to his ear. 

"You deserve this Hanzo, you are a disgrace to the Shimada name." 

And it happened again...

And again... 

...And again.

 

* * *

 

The waterboarding was something Hanzo was able to keep track of. It could only take a few moments before he would pass out. And Inoe never changed clothes again, the same red the whole time.  He kept track of a wet stain on her sleeve as she berated him and tried to worm into his mind.  Hanzo rebuffed her even while the primal parts of his mind begged him to just do what she wanted, to save him from the agony that awaited. That primal part was just after his survival, and Hanzo would never bend to the elders will again. Not even to save his life. 

He was injected with the drugs off and on and he lost so much more time. He came to as abruptly as he had each time and found himself in the chair once more. Inoe was sitting before him on a stool that framed her prim posture. She wore a yellow yukata this time. 

"See, I thought the waterboarding would have moved you a little more. But I shouldn't be surprised." Inoe looked him up and down. "A stong assassin like you, it will take more than the fear of death to make you break." 

"I won't." Hanzo rasped and worked his mouth over the dry feeling. He'd been asleep a while. 

"You will, everyone has a point to fall to." Inoe sighed and waved a hand. Hanzo's eyes were drawn to the doorway where the rest of the Shimada elders gathered and filed into the room. What a nightmare, all of the elders who should have been his family and instead became his masters. Hanzo was ashamed at himself for allowing them to walk all over him for his entire life. He'd allowed them to make him kill his brother. He'd let everything happen because he was weak. 

No more. 

"Welcome everyone," Inoe folded her hands daintily in her lap. "Proof that the Shimada Heir has been returned to us. Our Kumicho, home once more." 

"Some good this does us." Kentaro hissed as he stepped forward and backhanded Hanzo across the face. His head snapped to the side and he forced himself back to the same position. He rolled the split of his lip to gather the blood and spittle. He spat in the elders face, reveling in the rage that prurpled his wrinkled face. 

"I enjoyed killing your dogs." Hanzo growled and smiled bloody and feral at Kentaro. 

"Enough," The eldest of the people in the room spoke. Tsukasa Renji used his cane to enter the room and his decrepit clopping gets grated and got everyones attention. "Squabbling like children over scraps. He's not even able to fight back." 

Tsukasa had been the last elder to agree to killing Genji. But he alone had the weight of the entire gathering of elders. What he said went, and only the Kumicho could supercede his word. Hanzo's father Sojiro had battled the old man for years over what was best for the clan. Hanzo's grandfather had battled him just the same and Tsukasa agreed to much of what they had both done. He'd fought against every step Hanzo wished to take the moment he swore his allegiance as Kumicho to the clan over sake cups. 

"What a time... to talk about honor." Hanzo spoke bitterly. Tsukasa had never given his children to the bloodline, so no dragons had ever been passed to his family. Yet his clout was nearly greater than Hanzo's own before he fled. 

"You honored this clan Hanzo." Tsukasa looked through drooping eyes. The dangeorus dark hue of them was as terrifying as they had always been. "Killing Genji was your responsibility and you did your duty." 

"My duty..." Hanzo choked on the word. "Is a burden...it has _never_ been...anything else." 

"Perhaps." Tsukasa said and looked to Inoe, "See to it he recieves appropriate punishment for deserting his position. If you can bring him to heel we can clean up the mess Overwatch has left of us." 

"And if he _doesn't_ obey, Tsukasa-sama?" Inoe asked sweetly.

"If you cannot break him in two weeks time I will have been sorely mistaken in letting you remain on the elder's council." Tsukasa said breezily and Inoe colored darkly. "At that time, we will re-discuss your plans. Either way, there will be resolution to this entire sordid affair." 

"Oh, you honor me." She bowed her head and Tsukasa turned to Kentaro. The old man sighed and stormed back out to the door to the other elders who took Tsukasa's decree as law. The elders filed out and Inoe smirked at him like a kitsune smirked. She stood up slowly, her age still present though she acted much like she'd just gotten a teenage wish. "Don't touch the tattoo. We don't want the dragons interfering." 

That was when Hanzo became aware of the two guards behind him, one omnic, and one human. The drugs must still be in his system for him to not have even felt their eyes on him. They rounded to stand next to Inoe as she brushed her yukata down and stepped forward to lean into his face. Her skin was haggard under the sheen of light powder. Age was not a good look on her, despite how she wore it. 

"I'm going to love watching you break Hanzo." She smiled and ran her nails down into his beard roughly. He gritted his teeth as she looked down her nose at him. "It will be music to my ears." 

He spat across her chest. He grinned just as ferally when he saw the red spittle streaked across the butter yellow fabric. He hoped it would stain. She shrieked and jerked back. Her hand whipped out and slapped him. She opened up a cut on his eyebrow and the blood spilled down into his eye immediately. He laughed to cover up the fear that spiked in him. Two weeks before they would revisit a change in plan. Two weeks of torture was a long time to endure. 

"Beat him close to death, do not kill him." She snarled and stalked away, the heavy metal door slammed behind her.

The two guards rolled up their sleeves and Hanzo tipped his chin up proudly. The first fist to smash across his jaw was flesh, and the second was metal. Attacks rained across his ribs, his other arm, and his face. Hanzo grunted in pain, and refused to do more. He lost track of time when he started to feel his ribs cracking. His jaw fell loose with dislocation and his eyes swelled up one after the other. His nose was broken and blood choked him while his breathing started to cut off. 

The pain was great, but it was physical, Hanzo had spent his whole childhood enduring beatings to train his body for battle. He couldn't breathe, and his abdomen screamed every time he inhaled and exhaled through his stuck open mouth. He seperated himself from the fire and agony each breath sent. He couldn't see anymore his eyes were swelled closed, but he could hear them take a break and mumble about what to do next.

Hanzo was dragged from the room and into the tiled room once more. He braced as he had before, but nothing could stop his agonized yell from breaking free when the pounding water of the hose slammed into his broken ribs. He curled up on the floor trying to protect them, but the guards just kicked him while he was down. 

 

* * *

 

Hanzo had lost track of the days. Food was given some time after he'd been through three beatings. His ribs were a mottled purple color, stretching across his whole torso. His jaw was forced back into place and he was force-fed a protein shake that then made bowel movements possible again.

Hanzo didn't want to admit that the beating wasn't enough to wear on his mind like the freedom to take care of himself did. Not being able to feed himself, not being able to stop himself from urinating and deficating before Inoe and her guards was grating. Humiliation became the name of the game. So perhaps Hanzo was not as careful at hiding his reactions to things.

Hanzo was force-fed and nearly drowned with water every few hours for the next space of time. His body with the drugs loosening his muscles, was not able to follow his mental command to not give in. By the time they stopped he'd not only covered himself in feces, but he'd vomited from the overfeeding all down his naked front. It was demeaning not being able to control himself. And the way they poured alcohol on him and laughed with each rotation of guards, was a great tax on his mind. 

When they left him in the dark for hours alone he tucked his head down to cry in the only relief he could find. The pain he could compartmentalize, it was physical. But the humiliation was a dangeorus poison that stabbed at him with each break they took. The darkness was encroaching, and it still felt like there were eyes on him. Watching and sneering as if he were an animal before them.

He hated it. 

_He hated it!_

He would take the beatings if only they would stop forcing him to eat when all he wanted was to starve. Forcing him to drink when he knew his bladder was bloated. Laughing and gagging when his body just couldn't hold out any more and control was lost. Sitting in it, smelling the stench was disgusting.

He hated that the humiliation was wearing him down faster than his pride would allow. He nearly reached out to his dragons for comfort. But he halted himself, great beings like Udon and Ramen should not sully themselves with him in this state. They were perfection, and he was filth wearing their honor on his skin. 

He retreated in the darkness to his mind, if he could not go to Udon and Ramen for comfort he would find it in memories. He remembered his first time learning to change Genji's diaper. He'd been three and bumbling, fresh from his own potty training he followed his mothers gentle guidance. He'd gagged at the baby diaper, but with Genji's big baby eyes watching him he had learned. Being a big brother was the largest of honors his father had said. Changing Genji's diaper meant he was the best big brother. He'd even told the nannies he had it when they were being looked after. There had been praise heaped on him for being such a big boy. But Hanzo had not done it then for the praise, he did it to have Genji blow spit bubbles at him. Genji only ever did that for Hanzo. 

The lights ripped the soft vision of Genji's baby face out of his mind. Hanzo's eyes ached with more than just the light and he was suddenly reminded of all the aches and pains spiking throughout his body. The door was opened and Inoe walked in and wrinkled her nose.

"How the mighty dragon has fallen." She stopped outside of the puddle of filth that was congealed around his feet. "You're disgusting Hanzo, like a child who can't control himself." 

He refused to let that bite at him. It was far too close to how he felt in this moment. 

"But that's what you've always been." She waved a hand and sighed. "A perfect mold for what the clan needed. You always needed our guidance. All is forgiven Hanzo. If you just agree to let us guide you once more, then you can be cleaned up. You can go upstairs where you will be treated like the Kumicho you were always meant to be." 

"N-N-..." Hanzo struggled and his throat convulsed. He was not some errant child to accept this punishment and apologize. Not to them, never to them. 

"Oh? Have you an answer my boy?" She asked with a soft smile. 

" _No._ " Hanzo growled from his throat more than his mouth. 

"I see." Her eyes darkened and she snarled. "My hospitality is not good enough for you. You'll wish you agreed to the easy way. I've been taking it light so far." 

Hanzo snorted and while the sound hurt all over he still forced the noise out. He wouldn't give her a single inch. She turned and snapped her fingers. With nothing more said she left the room with her guards in tow. The lights remained on with their uncomfortable glare not even giving him the reprieve of the oppressive darkness. But he had not expected anything else. Hanzo tipped his head back and sighed. 

 

* * *

 

The psychological torture ramped up then. If Hanzo fell asleep the lights were turned on and off at random. Any small change would spark his paranoia. Despite the door making noise when it was opened and closed, Hanzo would find people popping up in the corners of the room when the lights returned. He was starting to wonder if they were real or not because some real time had passed.

He was hungry again, desperately so. Every so often the guards he knew were real would bring him just enough water to keep him alive. Hanzo felt like he was ready to beg when his mouth started to crack with thirst. He started to sag in utter exhaustion in his binds. The filth that was caked to him was long since dry and tugged at his skin when he struggled to try and fight to get out. He wanted water and he would do _anything_ for it. 

Hanzo screamed when the frenzy grew too much in his mind. He was going to die of dehydration, he was sure just a day ago he'd been waterboarded. Or was that days ago? A week? He hurled stilted insults in all the languages he knew. Screamed for hours as he vented his frustration. And it was only through his thrashing that he noticed his one arm. The tattoo glared up at him, pristene and untouched. He remembered Udon and Ramen were hidden deep in his mind. His dragons were there safe and sound. 

He was Hanzo, chosen by two great descendants of the Dragons of the North and South Wind. Born from descendents from their human incarnations. Udon and Ramen were meant for him, and he for them. He'd named them after the two noodle dishes he loved most at Rikimaru Ramen. He had loved his parents, and they had loved him. He'd been blessed with Genji and they had been little nightmares when they were boys. He had quietly come out to his mother and father who kept silent about his truth. He'd taken his training seriously, and his duties even more seriously. He first killed a man at a young age and he was a warrior. 

Hanzo had killed his brother and it had woken him from the haze he'd fallen into the moment he killed for the first time. The influence that poisoned him for so many years was washed away by Genji's lifeblood. He was his brothers murderer, and that truth alone told him he wanted nothing that would make that okay. Water would not make Genji's murder okay. Healing biotics would not make it okay. Being clean would not make that okay. 

As swiftly as the fit had come on, it was gone; and Hanzo remembered himself. He was not this desperate primal thing they wanted him to be. If he were to die from the dehydration then so be it. It was preferable to what they wanted from him. He would take his death with the silence his soul demanded. He was more than the weakness of his current affliction. He would _not_ succumb again. 

 

* * *

 

Hanzo heard the door open but couldn't find the strength to look up. A warm bony hand cupped his chin and Hanzo became aware of how wild his beard had become once more. He was lifted and his eyes struggled to focus on the face before him. He blinked slowly and the voice that greeted him chilled him to the bone. "Still hanging in there son?" 

Tsukasa. 

Hanzo closed his eyes and tried to retreat back to the emptiness of his mind. Where his truth still was. He was Hanzo, master of Udon and Ramen. He was not what the elders wanted him to be. Would never agree to their terms no matter how pretty they were wrapped up. 

Water poured into his parched mouth and he was embarassed by how his body reacted. He gulped down the liquid as it poured from the bottle into his gullet. Too much at once. He seized in his bonds and his abdomen erupted into agony as he heaved all the water back up and onto the floor. He blinked down at the vomit and feces at his feet. Right, humiliation again. 

"Clean him up." Tsukasa ordered and Hanzo's guards melted from the corners like they had been there for hours. Perhaps they had been and Hanzo had just not paid attention to them. 

Hanzo was dragged back to the tiled room and rather than turn the hose on him like he was expecting he was splashed with buckets of water multiple times. The relief he felt when the vomit and feces were finally washed away was disgustingly apparent. He just used his shaking arms to hold himself up. This was the most free that he'd been the whole time. 

Now was the time to act. 

He turned his head to seek the door when a hard object whacked across the back of his shoulders. Hanzo yelped and rolled his tattooed arm underneath him. He would not let anyone touch his tattoo here. While Udon and Ramen wouldn't feel it, he didn't want them to violate the one good thing in his life. The only good thing he had left of him. The cane tip dug into the tile next to his face as Tsukasa stepped close to look down on Hanzo. 

"A decision has been made." Tsukasa said with all the air of finality. The same tone he used when he ordered Hanzo to handle Genji. "Your...proclivities... have caused a stir over the years. When you vanished we sought out any potential heir you might have had. Of course, there were none. Genji didn't even leave any, which was quite the shock to all of us." 

There wouldn't have been. The _dragons_ determined when their bloodline was to continue. Their dragons selected their mates, that was the terms the moment any heir communed with the dragons for the first time. A truth only the dragon's chosen knew. Hanzo didn't like the way this conversatoin was going. 

"You will not be escaping the clan again Hanzo, I will ensure your compliance." Tsukasa said coldly. He scrubbed a withered hand through his long beard and hummed thoughtfully. "Inoe's granddaughters will be brought to you. You will sleep with each one and hopefully beget a child to each of them. Children that the dragon's blood will pass to." 

Hanzo stiffened in horror, he was ordering Hanzo to breed the dragon's compatibility. He looked up at the serious look in Tsukasa's eyes. Hanzo felt his dragons scrape and claw at the barriers of his mind. Their fury burned hot through him, wanting to pull free of the tattoo and tear the old man's soul from his body for the offense. He calmed himself, and turned his gaze to the old man who held his life in his hands. "The...dragons...die...with me." 

Udon and Ramen's pride washed through him at the same moment their fear spiked. Tsukasa chuckled and nodded, "So you think boy, so you think." 

 

* * *

 

Hanzo tried to fight when he was grabbed again by the guards and dragged from the cold tile floor. They didn't drag him to his torture room. Instead they moved to a larger room where the elders were waiting in chairs along the walls with sake. Drinking while Hanzo was tortured like he was entertainment, it was humiliating. Hanzo was regretting holding his pride high above everything. It had not given him a thick skin against his humiliation at all. Hanzo was dragged to a table that looked more like an angular medical chair with no leg rest. 

He was strapped down again, the metal just as cold and biting. His biceps were strapped down, then his neck and abdomen. He didn't like it, whatever this was it was going to hurt. The elders murmured amongst each other. Tsukasa held up his withered hand and they quieted. A guard came forward and handed the old man a smoking pipe that was lit.

"This is not a punishment Hanzo, merely a clipping of your wings." The only man said as he placed it between his lips. 

 Omnic guards came forward and took Hanzo's legs by the ankles and knees. He tried to force them away but their grips were as unyeilding as they always were. A large pair of metal tubs were wheeled up under his knees. Hanzo gaped and realized just what was going to happen to him. 

It was cruel, and Hanzo struggled anew, fighting and struggling as the scent of burning came from behind him. He'd seen this method only once in his entire life. His father had done it because it was a punishment he handed out himself. And it was done to a pedophile who had been a target. Genji had nearly killed the man after hearing the story of how he took advantage of all of his students at the kindergarten in Hanamura's borders. His hands were buried in ice and then in hot coals. If he wanted to touch children, then he would have no hands at all. 

Hanzo looked down at his legs, they didn't want him to run again. And he couldn't run if he didn't have legs. He opened his mouth to beg, to swear himself back into serivce if they would just leave his legs alone. He looked up to see Tsukasa smoking, watching the fear as it took hold. The tiny twitch to his mouth was all Hanzo needed to see. He _wanted_ to watch Hanzo beg and plead for his legs. He wanted to watch Hanzo humiliate himself more than he'd been while sitting in shit and piss and vomit for weeks. It was a game to them, a game they were all playing with him as a pawn. He was ever their pawn.

Hanzo closed his mouth and Tsukasa stiffened. Hanzo grabbed the arms of the chair he was strapped to and the guards looked around for guidance. His silence was not what they were expecting. He was going to scream, he knew that much, but he was not going to beg them. He'd begged for Genji to be forgiven, and they had shaken their heads like he was a child begging for treats. He would not make that same mistake again. They might have adopted his name, but they were _not_ his family. 

Hanzo's legs were submerged in pure ice. Edges of the pieces dug into his shins, and the cold was too much the moment his skin was exposed. Minutes passed and the biting cold started to prickle painfully before it started to go numb. Hanzo started to shiver and shake as the cold seeped into the rest of his body much deeper than the superficial cold he'd felt for what must have been two weeks. He counted to himself as a half hour passed, then an hour. He wasn't aware of the voices until he heard the clamor, he was hyper focused on the numbness creeping from his shins to his knees. 

Suddenly his legs were yanked from the ice and the way the ice scraped felt hollow against his skin, the two omnics held him tight but his mind was already spinning from the ache spreading on his numb legs. They shouldn't be that blue and glossy silver color. That wasn't right at all! Tubs that were filled with red hot coals were wheeled into place beneath him and Hanzo struggled anew, this was a torture he knew might break him. He thrashed as the Omnics shoved his numb feet into the red hot coals.

Hanzo screamed as all the coals superheated the frozen skin on his legs. It felt like he was being stabbed a thousand times across every square inch of his skin. The numbness died a rapid death before it spread a painful searing feeling down to his bones. It was unreal, Hanzo howled so loud his voice cut out and his thrashing twisted both of his shoulders out of their sockets. But that pain was so weak compared to the knowledge that his legs were rapidly decaying under the extreme temperatures. 

His legs were pulled free quickly or maybe it had been hours. Hanzo stared in horror at the blackened flesh of his legs from the tops of his shins to the toes on his feet. As if he couldn't help himself he flexed his foot and they practically crumbled. The black flesh falling away to reveal bone. Hanzo's eyes rolled back and his heart nearly gave out in shock. He collapsed in the chair and his dragons wrapped around the mental part of himself and coiled defensively. He had broken, and that was all he had ever been meant to do now that it had happened. No one could come out of this unscathed. 

Hanzo was unsure of how much time was passing. He knew he was awake in the chair again, but it felt like he was seeing it through a long tunnel. A mercy was delivered to him and both legs were bound at the thighs to cut off blood flow. Moments later his legs were severed just above the knees. He didn't even feel it, he wasn't sure he could feel anything anymore. But maybe that was the drugs they were feeding him through an IV that was now attached to him. Golden light bloomed around him and he knew a biotic field was being used to heal the extensive damage. A doctor came forward to work while he healed. 

He couldn't react though he wanted to scream, cry, rail against the injustice done to him. But he couldn't pull himself from the protective hold the dragons had on his mind. He was relocated to a floor high above the street in the ryokan. He was dressed in a simple kimono, his legs bound with gauze and drugs pumping into his system. He could feel the pain now, it was real where as that creeping stabbing numbness still haunted the chasm between his mind and reality. Any humiliation he might have felt was oblitereated under the weight of his sudden state of being an invalid. 

 

* * *

 

Hanzo had a way to keep time now. Udon and Ramen would not be put back in their mental safe room, instead they coiled protectively under his skin watching through his eyes. Guards sat watching him lay useless on the futon he'd been relocated to. The blatant kindness being afforded to him was a gross contrast to the torture he'd endured. Now they had what they wanted. They'd crippled him and healed him enough to not think of getting away. The drugs kept the pain away, and the rest of his injuries were still apparent. 

The doctor came every sixth meal, and he picked and prodded at Hanzo's stumps. They were healing cleanly, the sword strike that severed them was clean and surgical with it's precision. He was certain it had been Taro who did the deed, he'd walked up after the coal tubs were removed. The biotic field had grown flesh over it so they just looked bruised and raw. He knew the flap of skin was fragile, and according to the doctor, it would get thicker and tougher with the treatments. Like a knee or a callous would. 

Hanzo ignored the doctor, he didn’t want to hear about the full scale of the trauma he'd been through. His mind shied away from the damage itself, instead he focused on Genji in his mind. As long as he had his brother there mentally, he would remember himself. He would remember that while he had been through hell, it was not atonement. Not by the hands of those who planned Genji's murder. 

The door slid open and the caretaker women came in. They changed the bedpan tucked into his futon, changed his kimono and went through the effort of forcing him to eat by fluids. Then they produced a wash basin and he watched as they sheared his hair off his head in thick mats. Then they scraped every bit of his beard and mustache off. His bare skin felt exposed, and he hated every second of it. 

Inoe walked into the room and smiled down at him happily. "Hello, future grandson-in-law." 

Disgust boiled up from his stomach and he barely met her gaze. He was _not_ going to bear them children, his dragons hissed in his mind at the offense. They had no idea that he was essentially barren unless his dragons chose him a mate. Not to mention Hanzo was gay. But they had no idea of the truth of his dragons. And he couldn't tell them even if he wanted to stop the rape, they wouldn't believe him. It wasn't even his truth to tell. Not to mention he hadn't spoken a word since the moment his legs were severed. 

"Hold him down." Inoe ordered and the guards came to take his arms in hand. She handed a new syringe to one of the caretaker girls. It was injected without hesitation into the IV drip. He flushed with heat and a new horror sank into his soul. With how quickly the drug was acting he feared the result. And when it happened he turned his head away from Inoe as tears spilled from his eyelids. For the first time in months, his cock had gone hard.

Hanzo's face was snatched by biting nails and he was forced to look into the elder woman's eyes. "You'd better sire a child Hanzo, or this is all you'll be doing for the rest of your pitiful life."

Udon and Ramen roared in his mind in rage. Inoe scoffed and waved a hand as she left, he fell limp as the drug did it's job making his cock hard enough that it hurt. The door opened and suddenly the guards exited the room. Oh God it was happening, and he couldn't even run. His limbs were heavy and aging from injury that was barely healed. 

Rough hands cupped either side of his head and he stiffened. "Hanzo." That was Taro, Hanzo looked up in terrified confusion. "I only have a moment before she comes up. All of the elders came today, they want proof the deed has been done. But this...this is too much. It was too much a month ago when they had me cut off your legs."

It had been a month? It felt like a _day_ had gone by.

Taro lifted a syringe and Hanzo's heart nearly broke for the hope he felt. Taro had come to kill him. Taro frowned down at him, Hanzo must be doing a poor job of hiding his expression. 

"It's going to make you sleep Hanzo. You...you were never interested in sleeping with women. To make you...this isn't right." He injected the drug into the IV line and Hanzo wilted when he realized it wasn't something to kill him. It was a damn party drug, that would make him forget. "Hold in there. As soon as they're done, I'm getting you out of here. I'd take you now, but everyone is here, and I mean _everyone_."

Hanzo's mind fogged, Taro's words trailed off into garbled nothing. His arms felt like lead and he floated in a sea of nothing. One blink and he looked at Taro, the next nothing. Hanzo rested his eyes because keeping them open was too much work. 

 _ **'No! Don't touch him!'**_ Ramen snarled his voice sounding deeper, angrier than Hanzo had ever heard it.

Hanzo opened his eyes as something soft trailed across his chest. A woman hovered over him. Long black hair tickled his skin. That wasn't right, the last person to hover over him like this had been a nameless pick up from a bar in Hanamura. Most certainly not a woman. Something warm and wet closed over his cock and he squirmed.

 _ **'Harlot! I'll tear your soul from your body!'** _Udon snapped. _**'Do not touch us!'**_

Hanzo pulled his arm away from the woman's greedy fingers. She rocked above him so Hanzo closed his eyes. It wasn't right, and he didn't have the strength to fight her. He turned his head and through the haze that covered his awareness he barely heard her disgusting cries of completion. He couldn't even feel his own release, and the moment he recognized it for what it was he recoiled as much as his drugged body could. 

The woman smiled with painted lips and jiggling breasts. He squeezed his eyes shut again. It felt like an eternity, but when he came to it was later, and another woman was above him. Her hands held his to the futon. He wished he had his legs to upend her. Instead he tuned back into Udon and Ramen, they whirled around his mind and snapped at the outside word with fury and hate.

 _ **'I'll kill them all.'**_ Ramen promised.

 _ **'We'll savor each death as deserving.'**_ Udon growled dangerously. _**'They want a dragon heir?! They'll get nothing.'**_

Hanzo was distantly aware that he was reaching orgasm again. And he hated it, knowing they thought themselves the happy future mothers of his children. Never, never, _NEVER!_

Taro was back, putting more drugs into his IV, then Inoe, whispering spiteful things and ushering her last granddaughter into the room. Hanzo was aware enough to see her start, though he was only able to see rather than feel. She was speaking to him. She picked up his tattooed arm, and pressed his palm to her skin like she expected him to engage her. Like he was a willing participant. 

 _ **'Summon us.'** _Udon urged.

 _ **'Summon us now.'** _Ramen pushed Hanzo to the front of his mind.

Hanzo didn't think he could speak the words, he didn't feel capable of speech at all. But he trusted them, they alone were his and he protected them. In turn they protected him. _**"Ryuu ga...waga teki...wo karau..."**_

Ramen burst from Hanzo's skin in a rush of blue light. His jaws clamped on the woman's throat and his winding body rode her to the ground. Udon coiled tight around Hanzo's broken body. They were smaller than when he summoned them in battle, but bigger than when they crawled from his skin on their own. No screams, the moment the girl was dead they coiled together ready for defense. 

The door was knocked on and they both roared. A guard opened it and they surged forth of their own volition. They ravaged the hall before they were forced to return by how weak Hanzo was. Panic was brewing, he could hear screaming and shouting. Taro was suddenly just there, tearing Hanzo's IV out and wrapping the kimono back around him.

"Taro, we need to go now." That was Kirai, why was she here?

"I know. I wasn't expecting the dragons to rip through all the guards. It's our best chance." Taro picked Hanzo up and he groaned painfully. "Kirai, babe, can you shoot?"

"Got it." She said and they exited the room he'd been kept in. Hanzo looked down at a blood soaked floor and wondered if Udon and Ramen had done more than usual in their attack.

"Don't worry Hanzo, we're getting you out of here." Taro promised. Hanzo just closed his eyes, too dizzy to make sense of the movement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still sorry, still wrote it.


	10. Recovering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo recovers a little

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I was originally planning this for ten chapters. It s definately gotten away from me here.
> 
> But there is still an end planned. It'll stop at the point the Dragons animation happens. Then I'm going to go into another fic of Hanzo joining Overwatch.

Hanzo blinked his eyes open only because a spike of pain shot through one of his legs. He saw they were on a street. Kirai was running ahead with a gun in hand. Hanzo looked up as his dragons noticed something and a figure dropped from the shadows above. It was a man, wearing a loose gray kimono over armor that glowed with light in the seams. He wore his hair in a wild topknot and looked as old as Hanzo's father was when he died. The glint in the air was a katana pointed at Taro.

"Stop right there." The man rolled a sprig of some kind of plant between his lips. He was a Samurai Soldier. "Kano! This the guy?"

Hanzo knew Kano, what was he doing in Hanamura? He should be deep into the countryside by now. It had been what? A month and a half since they last saw one another. Kano melted from the rooftop his sniper rifle pointed at Hanzo's head. He said something up there because the Samurai tilted his head.

"Omnic says he's the guy." The Samurai tipped his blade a few times. "How bout you put him down and step back?"

"Who the hell are you anyways?!" Taro snarled and gripped Hanzo tighter. Kirai kept her gun pointed at the Samurai.

"I'm the man who is going to cut your head off of you don't get out of my way." The Samurai stepped forward and Kano jumped from the rooftop. Hanzo looked away from the Samurai to the Omnic father he knew.

"Kano..." Hanzo breathed.

"Hello Hanzo-San, Mujin wanted me to tell you your friends are safe." Kano addressed him and Hanzo sighed in relief. The Kurosawa family was okay. "I'm sorry it took us so long to find you. Mujin had to call in a favor for Rin to use."

"Why?" Hanzo frowned he was starting to feel tired again. Why would they come for him? Why would they risk any of the Samurai left? 

"You saved my daughter Hanzo-San." Kano said simply. 

"That's right, my niece." The Samurai said with a nod. "I just got here and I'm not going back without him."

"You know him, Hanzo?" Taro asked.

"My daughter was the girl your gang stole to make weapons." Kano bit out, "Hanzo-San saved her."

"Where are you going?" Kirai asked. "We just betrayed the Shimada-Gumi to save him."

"Looks like you were a little late." The Samurai groused pointedly. Hanzo's legs burned with the scrutiny. 

"Off the grid." Kano said to draw the talk back to him. "If you agree to leave all electronics and tracking devices here, I will bring you along."

"We can't trust them Kano." The Samurai hissed.

"No, but Mujin trusts Hanzo. If they saved him, then they're worth the chance." Kano sighed and shook his head. "I'll sweep them once we're out of Hanamura. If they have anything on them, kill them."

"You're the boss." The Samurai smirked dangerously. Kano inclined his head and waved a hand.

"I did not see anyone following you. But did anyone see you take Hanzo-San?" Kano asked and tilted to scan behind them.

"No, anyone we came across were already dead." Kirai cut in. "The dragons cut a path for us."

"The dragons?" The Samurai looked at Hanzo in shock. "Like more than one? Sojiro only had the one."

"Udon...and Ramen." Hanzo slurred with pride. His strong and powerful dragons. So good and pure. They stayed with him despite his tainted soul.

 _ **'Hush now.'**_ Ramen admonished.

 _ **'We'll always protect you. No matter what.'**_ Udon cooed.

"Let's get out of here then, it won't take them long to figure out he's gone." Taro shifted.

"What is the state of his injuries?" Kano demanded as they started walking through the deserted side streets that dotted the Hanamura city.

"Amputations of both legs," Kirai cut in and Hanzo distantly remembered she'd been a clinic nurse when she'd married Taro. The clan's underground clinic. "Broken ribs, and swelled joints from dislocation. Most of the physical damage that was superficial was healed due to the biotic treatments."

Hanzo drifted off as his dragons cooed at him and he let the drugs still in his system roll him under. What else was he supposed to do? It wasn't like he could get his feet under him and fight off the drugs. 

 

* * *

 

When Hanzo finally woke from the haze of drugs, he was inside a traditional room with sliding doors and hardwood floors under the futon he was resting on. There was a small heater set up near the corner of the room and Hanzo took note that there was no one lurking in the corners.

He took a moment to marvel that he was alone, and he wore a soft t-shirt instead of a kimono. He pushed the futon cover aside and levered himself up. He wore sweatpants, and with a careful check boxers. All of them were clothes from his apartment. In fact even his gear bags were within his reach. How had they gotten there?

 _ **'Master?'**_ Ramen drew Hanzo's focus inwards.

"Ramen..." Hanzo ran his fingers over Ramen's visage before he stroked Udon as well. In seconds they had both peeled from him and were crawling up his torso. He felt tender on his ribs, but he bore their weight carefully. He must have been healed. 

 _ **'Are you well master?'** _Udon asked anxiously.

"I am..." He paused and looked back down at his legs. The memory of that horrible stabbing numbness took him. He slammed his palms onto his thighs and panted through the feeling of his legs freezing even while they were cooking. The slow death his nerves went through. The smell of his flesh burning and permeating his senses. He would never forget the smell for as long as he lived. 

When he caught his breath he was covered in sweat and trembling. Udon and Ramen had wrapped tightly around each of his wrists. He sucked in a breath that burned through his lungs. He closed his eyes as he remembered the torture in every bit of detail. And worse, how closely he came to succumbing to their demands with every act becoming worse than the last. 

Then he remembered a ryokan room. The drifty state he was in for so long, a time that he'd tracked days and weeks when it was a month he'd been in there. He flexed his fingers as he saw those women above him. He couldn't remember the way it felt, but he knew how it felt now. He could link the strange relief to orgasm. No! He hadn't participated willingly! 

Bile rose in Hanzo's throat and he brought a hand up to swallow it back. "Did-?"

 _ **'No!'**_ Udon surged up his arm to forcefully nuzzle Hanzo's jaw. _**'None of them carry your child.'**_

 _ **'None of them were your mate anyways.'** _Ramen scoffed angrily. _**'I want to kill the other two.'**_

The angry tone from Ramen was unusual. Ramen was light hearted and sweet. Udon was stern and aloof. For Udon to initiate the need for comfort, and Ramen to be feeling cold, he hadn't done his job in protecting them.

"I'm sorry." Hanzo choked as his emotions surged. His dragons whipped to look at him. "I'm _so_ sorry."

He bowed over his severed legs and wept not for his own state, but that he'd allowed his dragons to endure trauma. He sobbed at how everything had hurt them more than it hurt him. He cried brokenly and desperately.

Hanzo was startled from when Udon and Ramen whirled with deep reptilian hisses filling the air. Hanzo looked over as they grew in size and wrapped around his body like massive serpentine guard dogs. Their protective concern warmed him. The force feeding had had one good effect, it gave them strength.

Hanzo glimpsed the guest and saw it was Kibutsuji Mujin. He would have to start calling the man by his name now. He'd saved Hanzo. And the other Samurai, whoever he was. "I'm glad you are awake Hanzo-San. It has been two days since you were taken from the ryokan you were kept at. And nearly two months since we saw each other last."

"I see." Hanzo exhaled shakily and he patted the translucent sides of his dragons. "It is alright."

Udon bent low and rubbed along his back before shrinking back into the tattoo. Ramen took his time, glaring angrily before complying. They didn't trust anyone now it seemed. Which was fine, Hanzo didn't trust anyone either. Once Hanzo had gotten his dragons back to true safety he pulled the futon cover back up over his legs.

"Taro-San explained the full scope of what happened to you. They only used enough biotic nanites to heal superficial injuries. Kano and Kirai-san managed to get your ribs back in place and repair the internal damage." Mujin pulled his legs up and bent them into a folded position. "Your stumps are healing very well. Better than some I've seen since the crisis. Megumi..."

Mujin trailed off and Hanzo nearly looked away to let the man gather himself. Hanzo took the moment to assess his own body. He felt tender but none of the pain he'd grown used to was there. Was this what shock was like? He felt as distant as he had when Genji died. But that wasn't right, he hadn't suffered like Genji had. Being killed by your older brother was far worse than...

"Megumi wants to design prosthetics for you." Mujin blurted and Hanzo drew away from the black pit of his mind. "I was a poor candidate for even a prosthetic spinal augment. My nerves deteriorated and if I'm honest I prefer the wheelchair to fighting. But you...you have options. If you want them."

"I-..." Hanzo stopped and thought about how he felt. He wasn't in any state to make a decision. "I need sake, can someone bring it to me?"

"I don't -..." Mujin stopped and frowned deeply. "I'll give you three days to get through the worst of it. After that I need your answer."

"You'll have it." Hanzo choked out. He needed to quiet the yawning chasm of poison spreading in his thoughts. It had been months since he had fallen into it. It had taken assassins getting the jump on him that snapped him out of it.

Murder...

Torture...

R-Rape...

Hanzo needed a drink _now_.

The door slid open and Mujin was already back in his chair. "You're strong Hanzo-San. For all you think you deserve the pain you've been given, you deserve peace all the same."

Hanzo didn't respond to that. Instead he decided to change the topic. He bowed over his lap because he wasn't sure he could manage a proper kneel.  "Thank you for helping the Kurosawa's. They are good people, _innocent_ people."

" _You_ helped them Hanzo-San," Mujin laughed and closed the door. Hanzo didn't know what to say to that. He hadn't done anything at all. 

 

* * *

 

Hanzo wasn't pleased that it was Taro bringing him his sake. But considering he'd brought the good stuff, Hanzo decided he could be forgiven for doing his job months before. "Kibutsuji-san said you-... Shit, _you_ without hair isn't right."

Hanzo glared, Taro was as rude as ever. He didn't want to think about his hair being gone. He didn't want to acknowledge how cold he felt. He didn't want to examine it too closely or he would realize the humiliation and the indignity was simmering just under the surface. That he was cold because cold was better than the burn that took his legs. He snatched the bag dangling from Taro's hand and fished out a bottle. He ignored the cups inside and tore into it with a thirst he knew well.

"Hey, maybe you shouldn't go so hard." Taro rubbed the back of his head and Hanzo glared at him fiercely.

"I've had enough of others dictating what I do and don't do with my body. Forgive me if I tell you to fuck off, Taro." Hanzo snarled and took another long burning pull of the rice alcohol.

His old lover sighed and sat down. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Taro, your apology is worth nothing to me." Hanzo hissed as he licked the astringent taste from his mouth. 

"Then what can I offer you? It's not right what they did. I-I didn't stop it. I drugged you even more!" Taro argued and growled angrily. He dragged his hand through his hair violently.

"They wanted an heir." Hanzo snorted bitterly. "I don't know why you thought they wouldn't go that far. They removed my legs so that I couldn't run. Weakened me so that I couldn't fight back. Everything happened as they wanted it. The same as how they wanted Genji dead. I'm just a pawn to do with as they please."

"That's not...he was going to betray us." Taro shook his head and Hanzo chuckled darkly.

"And I murdered him for it." Hanzo bit out. "Isn't it nice, being the instrument of a loved one's destruction? The moment they knew we slept together, your fate was sealed. You would have been killed as a warning, or sent to do just as you did to me."

"No, I did everything they asked, I killed for the clan. It was family!" Taro looked at him with wide eyes that were finally open. But it had taken too long to get there, the same as it took too long for Hanzo's eyes to open. And it cost him Genji. Hanzo yanked the futon aside and pointed to the sweats that were knotted just below his stumps.

" _This_ is what they do to family. They have me murder my younger brother, then they maim me for running. They have me fucked so that they can get their puppet heir." Hanzo started to laugh so darkly it tainted the air. "I can't remember a time when the Shimada name didn't get me fucked one way or another. This time it was just in the literal sense."

Taro looked away and dragged out his cigarette case. "Shit."

"If you are waiting here for me to take the clan over, you're sorely mistaken." Hanzo sucked down more sake. Reveling in the way it spun his mind and for the first time in a while, it was of his own volition.

"No, that would be great but I'm not -" Taro tripped over his words as he lit his tobacco.

"I am never returning to the Shimada-Gumi." Hanzo said and the words were echoed with the fire and hate his dragons were spitting in his mind.

"So what then? Revenge?" Taro asked.

"Revenge?" Hanzo laughed. "I didn't want anything to do with the clan until you dragged me back. Taking innocents to make sure I complied."

"I-I'm sorry." Taro shook his head and smoked anxiously. "I thought at most they'd take your pinky. Rough you up, make you see the clan was still yours."

"Instead they beat me and waterboarded me. Starved me then forced me to vomit, shit, and piss myself for days. Then they used a torture method that hasn't truly been used since fucking World War II." Hanzo gritted put angrily. Giving it voice burned inside him. "Then they fucked me for my dragons. Never again Taro. I'm not your boss, I'm not your friend, and I'm sure as hell not your responsibility."

With that said Hanzo rolled to his side cradling the bottle in his elbow. He dragged the futon cover up over his head. Taro sat only a little longer before he sighed heavily and got up to leave the room. The solitude was all Hanzo wanted. And as his dragons spilled out onto the futon to coil around him and lap at the sake that spilled down his chin, this was all he needed.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo rebuffed all visitors after Taro's disastrous delivery. Every morning since his conversation with Mujin he found a platter of food left for him. He never saw who did it, never heard them come or go, but the food left was always something that required work to eat.

Hanzo wept over his chopsticks for nearly an hour before he shoveled all the food down his throat. Then he drank until he passed out. He dragged himself around the room just to remind himself he could move with no drugs in his system. It hurt, his stumps still felt raw. And when they weren't raw he was dealing with the terrifying phantom pains that felt like the moments before he lost the limbs. 

He didn't sleep without the alcohol. A huge step back than where he was two months ago. But the self medication was there and he was using it. He then religiously went through his bags and gear. Things from his apartment and knowing they were _his_ settled the unease some more.

Hanzo found the gold sash in his gear bag again and pulled it free. They hadn't originally been for his hair. Genji had found them at a shop and left them wrapped around his sword at random times. A tease that Hanzo had found amusing. Hanzo had ran every silken tie through his fingers before tucking them away for safe keeping. The gold and green had been the latest editions. Hanzo wished he had hair to wear the silk.

Udon eased from his wrist to take the sash in his mouth. "You want me to wear it?"

 _ **'Please.'** _Udon begged.

"Very well." Hanzo smiled and he wrapped it around his tattooed wrist. Udon nosed it around a few times and Ramen settled into relaxation. Their comfort was so imperative to him now. They were all he had.

A knock sounded and Hanzo stilled, he set his bag aside and pulled the futon cover back up over his stumps. He still hadn't looked at them, even while he used the bathroom he staunchly kept his sweats hugged about the tops of his thighs. He was avoiding it so desperately.

"You may come in." Hanzo called. His head hurt and he was nauseated. But it was a feeling he was reveling in. He felt in control, knowing he caused it and no one else.

"Hanzo-san!" Megumi shouted and entered. She rushed him and hugged him tightly. Udon and Ramen siezed and Hanzo settled his fingers over the silk tie. For a moment he was beneath the second Inoe granddaughter, but then he snapped out of it just as fast. Megumi's hair was a bright purple color that was fluffed in his face. Different, she looked very different and that was a good thing.

"Megumi!" Mujin huffed. "You spoke with Kano about this. He said to take it easy, Hanzo-San might not be amenable to physical contact."

"It is fine." Hanzo said as his heart rate slowed and he didn't feel like he was going to have a panic attack. "Your hair looks lovely."

"I thought you'd like it. When Kano first moved in he wore a wig to throw dad off when he had nightmares." Megumi grinned cheekily and her father just sighed. "He wouldn't try to shoot him if he didn't look like a crazy Omnic on the battlefield. Like what the hell is an Omnic doing in that curly ass blond with?!"

"Yes, yes, ptsd experts both of you." Mujin huffed. "How are you feeling today Hanzo-san?"

"I am fine." Hanzo lied. He felt like shit, he knew that, but he wasn't going to let on about any weakness he was feeling.

"So, I brought something." Megumi jumped up and raced for the door. She came back with a large box and sat it down. "These are basic, but I'm working on something with nerve connections. If you want?"

The box was opened and Hanzo looked down at a plain pair of prosthetic legs. They were metal with a jointed cuff that would attach to his stumps. The rod that fell down to the rough shadow of a foot was adjustable for height. He nodded and sat the box aside. Then she dropped a large tablet in his hands. He found himself looking at a set of legs that were showing various states of designs. 

"I got the idea yesterday when I looked at those ones. I'm thinking nerve uplinks run through a safety cuff you can take on and off that is universal." She said and pointed to an attachment that sprung up to take up most of the screen. She turned the image and he watched.

"Universal?" Hanzo lifted a brow to look at her.

"Uh yeah, they're your legs. You should be able to wear them and pick out what looks best. Like shoes." She beamed and it startled a chuckle from him. She gaped at him and then looked to her father with a warm smile. "Okay, so the cuff can come off, obviously to be cleaned. And it's designed to put the right amount of pressure on so that it stays attached but won't cause pain. Then they will magnetically attach to the legs."

"A new application." Hanzo smiled at her brilliance. "Much better than bombs."

"Right?!" She tapped out of the program and pulled up another. "Okay, check this out. You totally inspired me."

He was looking at an arrow suddenly. An extremely high tech arrow. The arrowhead had its tip but there were four branches that sprouted off. She tapped it and the points shot off of the arrowhead. They scattered like the bomb had when Hanzo rescued her.

"Your magnets can be that small?" Hanzo asked in awe. "This version will seperate and scatter like your father said you theorized."

"Yes." She grinned, "But I'm not sure how it should activate. It can't be active all the time, obviously. Impact would make its release mechanism go off. But how to turn it on at all?"

Hanzo lifted the tablet and zoomed out. There were notes listed, he found the wiring to power the arrows. The power ran all along the shaft from arrowhead to fetching. He pointed at the fletching. "You grip the arrow here when you nock and draw. As it releases the fetching turns the arrow so that it remains accurate. If you want a place to activate the magnet so that it scatters on impact, you should put it here."

"You're really smart." She took the tablet back and started typing notes.

"I went to University." Hanzo shook his head in amusement.

"What for?" She looked at him with such honest wide eyes.

"Business, but I minored in mathematics." He smirked.

"So you get what I'm going with here?" She waved at the screen and he nodded.

"You're very gifted. Any government contacts you take will not want for anything." Hanzo said honestly. She was very ahead of her time and she was going to change the scope of defense weaponry.

"Oh no, these are for you." She shook her head and powered the tablet down. "I'm working on one that will show you infra-red. A sonar of some kind."

Hanzo blinked at her. "For me? Why?"

"Like the rest of us Hanzo-san, you are meant for more than a civilian can do. Your elders are trying to rebuild their criminal empire. And your family is not there to reign in the destruction. I hate to put it on you, but no one knows them like you do." Mujin said and shook his head. "The other Samurai think something needs to be done. We would like to help get you back on your feet. No one knows the Shimada-Gumi better than you."

"I- I want nothing more to do with the Shimada-Gumi." Hanzo said and shook his head.

"Hmm, and if I told you my friends have stopped five assassins looking for you all across Japan already." Mujin offered. "None here though, yet."

Hanzo frowned, others were defending him. And he was sitting in an undefended location with no legs. His hands tightened on the futon cover and he felt his anxiety ramp up. His dragons whispered in his mind to calm him. But it was too late he spiraled.

They weren't going to give up. When they learned that those women weren't pregnant the assassins sent after him would be tasked with collecting him. They would do it all again. They would use him until he died. No! He wouldn't let them. He refused. Never again! _Never again!_

Hanzo looked back at the legs in the box. Before he could fight back he needed to walk again. He needed to be able to function. He was not a burden. Hanzo would _never_ be a burden. Not if he could help it.

"How soon can we set up your legs Megumi-Chan?" Hanzo asked. She looked at him and then at her father.

"Christmas." She said resolutely. 


	11. Regretful Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo walks again, and catapults into the next stage of grief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So summer games started. Hanzo got a new skin that's amazing. Can't wait to get it. Finally have real physical proof he has legs and itty bitty ankles lol
> 
> But I don't care! This man has prosthetics in this fic! Lmao

Hanzo stared at the ground for a long time before he removed his shirt and sweats to let Kano assess his healing. Kano was a medical Omnic from his programming, that explained his medical bag months ago. He'd cross trained as a sniper to help fight the Omnics that came from the Japanese Omnium during the crisis. Technically he specialized in tactical sniping and trauma therapy for veteran Japanese soldiers. Which was how he and Mujin met in the first place. 

Hanzo knew all of this because Megumi had become a quick fixture in his room. She brought along fabricated pieces of metal and wiring. She talked about everything her mind could possibly think up. Her fathers, her work, and the Kurosawa children who were staying at a Samurai's house. He didn't mind because it filled the silence so that his mind didn't take over.

Apparently, the island they were on happened to be where the last Samurai vanished to years ago. The most hidden place for Hanzo to be was here on Tsushima Island. There were sea side towns, but they were extremely small. The house he was staying in was Mujin's. There were also a number of traditional houses around them that were used for various things. One was Megumi's workshop. Another was housing Taro and his wife. Another was a guest house that the mysterious Samurai, who reached him, was staying in.

Hanzo looked up from his avoidance of the issue to nod at Kano to begin. The Omnic was easier to be around because he was professional. Knowing he was not affiliated with the Shimada helped further. His skin clammed up because someone was touching him, but he powered through. This was important, he needed to be able to fight as soon as possible.

Kano massaged Hanzo's shoulder joints and he was glad they didn't hurt anymore. No lasting damage according to Kano's murmured assessment. His ribs had even set well and while the bruising was still there on the bones, they were no longer fractured. Hanzo's face had lost its bruising around his jaw. Then they came to his legs and Hanzo stared at the gauze bandages around each stump.

"Take your time Hanzo-San. It is a very serious change, and it will take some getting used to." Kano sat back patiently. 

"I-I _should_ be able to look." Hanzo said seriously. "I am not weak."

"It's not weak to be daunted by limb loss." Kano said calmly. "Even I lost my leg in the crisis. It was a bit traumatizing for me, even after they hooked up my new one. Humans do not necessarily have the same response to a repair like I do. It is normal to be scared to look at the damage. It is normal to not want to look at all."

Hanzo nodded and steeled himself. He could do this, he _wasn't_ weak. Megumi was making legs that would have nerve up-links. But he couldn't wear them until he knew his stumps were healed enough for the procedure to put the required electronics into his body.

Hanzo stared for an even longer time at the forest green color of his boxers. Working up the nerve to progress further with the check up. This was getting ridiculous, he was letting fear and trauma rule him. Hanzo was so tired of letting _anything_ but logic rule his thoughts. 

"May I, Hanzo-San?" Kano asked and with a stiff nod of permission Hanzo let Kano tug at the bandages. He'd absently seen the bandages the doctor in the ryokan had unwrapped from his legs. These were not bloody, not even a pink hue came from them. "The cuts were very surgical, despite being made by a katana. I think the skin that managed to grow over is a little thin. But it will thicken over time. They have closed well. If you look I will show you where the nerve ports will be placed."

He could do that, he could look and see what he was going to change. Hanzo inhaled and reached out to Ramen and Udon. They radiated support into his mind and he exhaled calmly. He looked down and stared at the bare skin of his stumps. They looked wrinkled because the bandages had been removed. The skin was stretched, and raw looking around each end. There was an angry scar across both stumps that dug in with the new flesh bubbled up along the lower edge.

Kano prodded the space on either side that would have led to his knees. It burned with aggravated awareness. But that might have just been his brain thinking that. "The nerve ports will be here and here with a third on the back. The reworked nerves will run up to your spine where they will receive signal from your brain. With a decent amount of sensors in place you will feel everything you should."

Hanzo reached out and Kano pulled away. He brushed his fingers first over the places the ports would be. Then he proded the long scars and they felt hard to the touch. Scar tissue, Hanzo told himself. He then inched his fingers a little more gently around the rounded shapes of his stumps. There was an ache, but the kind that felt like hyper awareness.

Everything hit him right then. He'd been so caught up in the rape, the humiliation torture, that he'd barely addressed the fact that he'd _lost his legs._ The need to get away from the clan was a want ruled by fear. Fear that was mirrored by his new reality. He might have prosthetics, but he would never have _legs_ again. Mujin and Megumi had gotten him to agree to her designs. He would walk again, but he couldn't _envision_ doing so.

A flood of crushing despair surged inside him. Without prosthetics he could do nothing. Hanzo pulled his hands free from the ends of his legs before they dug in and ruined all the healing. Kano held out a biotic shot and Hanzo wordlessly gave his arm. The pulsing warmth of nanites going to work repairing even more parts of his body did nothing but remind him he was broken. In need of healing. Burdensome. 

"This should speed up the process a little more. Tomorrow we'll try the prosthetic legs." Kano informed him and Hanzo nodded woodenly.

Kano wrapped a thick pad of gauze around his stumps and even helped Hanzo shakily get his sweats back on. Kano patted his hand once and cleaned up his supplies before he left Hanzo in peace. Hanzo rubbed his eyes before he wept for the reality that nothing would be the same ever again. 

Hanzo would never again feel the chill of the floor after getting out of bed. He would never be able to run toes along soft sheets. Or feel the sand of a beach under his feet. Hanzo hung his head and choked on the despair he felt. It was okay, he was going to walk again. He was going to run and climb again. Why did it feel like he was ruined?! 

 _ **'It'll be alright Master.'** _Ramen softened from his harsh vigil around Hanzo.

 _ **'There will be new legs, ones that will be yours.'** _Udon joined in the attempt to calm him. Hanzo nodded and tried to quiet himself. This expression of emotion wasn't like him. He didn't let anything affect him like this.

"I have to get this under control." Hanzo said to his dragons. "I can't continue like this."

 _ **'Then calm yourself.'**_ Udon urged. _**'Find your balance.'**_

Hanzo nodded, he straightened his back, shoulders squaring. He would meditate on how to get through this. He closed his eyes and right under the surface was every roiling emotion he felt. He wanted to pull away from them, lock them away where he never had to look at them again. But he _needed_ to be able to cope.

They had waterboarded and beat him bloody. These were common place punishments in the yakuza. He'd done them to others and been taught through experience. But this time he hadn't handled the panic well. He would mitigate the fear by knowing he had control of his limbs around water. He had showered once in this room, and it had not terrified him.

They had force fed him, forced him to vomit from over eating, to soil himself over and over. Hanzo could not handle that. The humiliation...he would not allow anyone to take over his autonomy again. He alone controlled his body and it's responses. Being able to use the toilet had kept the disgust away thus far. 

Then came the rape, and Hanzo's mind spiked with the terror and rage he felt at being exploited and used like that. He could feel their dainty hands on him even now. The wet crush of their bodies meeting his. Hanzo hated remembering more than he wanted to. He hadn't enjoyed it! It was a physical response only! He raked his hands over his stubby head.

Cool silk touched his face and Hanzo slowed his frantic heart beat. He opened his eyes to see the gold silk sash with half circles roving over it. Hanzo felt the tears falling down his cheeks and a furious anger filled him. Hanzo closed his hand over the silk tie and he turned. He shoved the leg box to the sliding doors. He rolled to his stomach and crawled with his elbows to the door.

He was _not_ an invalid, he would trust his arms if he had no legs. Hanzo would _not_ be useless. He took a look down the hall and heard people down to his left, so he went right. His struggle was punctuated by his dragons confused and worried murmurs. Hanzo ignored them, he had a task to complete.

Hanzo found a wall that slid open to the wooden porch walkway that ran the length of the rear of the house. He shoved it open and was blasted with a waft of truly cold air. Much colder than it had been when he'd been captured. He shoved the box to the edge of the house and dragged himself there. Hanzo sat up and unknoted both sweats. He tore them at the line of his stumps. Raw strength was a relief to feel. 

"I wouldn't try that so soon." A voice caught his attention and Hanzo twisted to see the mysterious Samurai leaning on the open hall door. He wore a heavy maroon kimono, black exercise leggings and a loose shirt underneath. His hair was pulled into a lazily unkempt topknot. But his dark eyes were sharp like a birds. 

"I do not need your opinion on the matter." Hanzo snarled. He wasn't an invalid. He dragged the left leg from the box and pulled the cuff up to his leg. He put his stump in and buckled it tight. He followed with the other and placed both of the artificial feet to the ground. Hanzo pushed up to standing stubbornly. The weight he put on his stumps caused them to start aching. It didn't hurt so much as it felt like too much pressure. But he was standing, that was one thing down. 

Hanzo took a step and promptly lost his footing. He toppled right to the ground and groaned. His heart raced with disbelief. He couldn't walk...not even with these simple legs. How was he going to fight assassins sent after him?!

A howl of pure rage tore from his chest. He pounded his fists against the ground and screamed. Doubt and fear were a poison that had finally set in. Staved off with alcohol and avoidance. How could he possibly survive it all again? How could he fight against all of that _again_?!

"Well, got that out of your system now?" The Samurai stepped down next to Hanzo and held out a hand. "Let's try that again."

"No!" Hanzo hissed. "I do not need your _help_."

"Prideful eh?" The man chuckled. "That's good, means there's still fight in you."

"There is no fight left in me." Hanzo snarled. "That died with my brother."

"Nah, you would have managed to get that blade all the way through if it were really gone." Hanzo froze at the older man's words. He glanced up into serious eyes that stared at the middle of his abdomen. If Hanzo were standing the Samurai would be looking at Hanzo's failed seppuku scar. Of course he would know what it was. Hanzo was an invalid before he woke, someone had changed his clothing. Everyone might have seen it. 

"You know nothing." Hanzo looked away, his dragons had stopped him. If Hanzo had it his way he would have been dead before he ever left Hanamura.

"From one thing, know ten thousand things." The man crouched before Hanzo and smirked. "I know you're one of the best swordsman in the world. I know you put the blade aside because you can't stomach using one anymore. I know you've washed your brother's blood off your hands, but it's still there. I also know you're scared, scared of the limitations you're about to have. And angry...you're angry-, "

"Because I killed the one person who would have sat by my beside and made sure I was alright. I killed the man who would have helped me get my feet under me. I killed the only person who truly loved me." Hanzo said and punched the ground again as his heart burned in agony. "I murdered my baby brother. And I am _angry_ at him."

"Oh yeah?" The man quirked a brow and Hanzo glared through tears. 

"If he had just gotten in line, and done his duty, I would _never_ have been tasked with his murder. If he had just _listened_ to me he would still be alive." Hanzo growled. "If he had not spit in the face of our family tradition. If he had stopped partying for _once_ he might have seen -...he might have noticed how quickly I turned against him. He might have been able to stop me. I asked for his help and he-... he told me we'd talk about the clan when he got back. When he came back he said he wanted nothing to do with the clan or with me."

Hanzo broke into sobs and he lowered his head to his hands on the ground. He wailed for that night. He'd been arguing for days with the clan about his plans for the future. He knew it was going to take an Elders death to get them under control. He couldn't trust just anyone to help him. He _needed_ his brother at his back. Their swords were best together. It would send a unified message that Hanzo was _not_ to be messed with, and Genji was off limits to their scheming. 

He'd waited for hours, catching Genji returning from the salon with fresh green dye on his roots and his phone in hand. Hanzo had implored his brother to listen to what was going on.

 _"You're overreacting Anija."_ He'd said.

 _"No Genji, this is serious, can you just pay attention for once?"_ Hanzo had been exasperated. 

 _"Enough of this, I'm going out."_ Genji bristled the moment Hanzo tried to admonish his poor behavior.

 _"Genji, we_ must _talk about the clan."_ Hanzo beseeched his younger brother. The only one he trusted, blood was the only thing he trusted right now.

 _"Gods it's always the clan this and the clan that with you now. You're the Kumicho, make a decision and it will be done. We will talk later."_ Genji sighed and stomped off. Phone already at his ear and a saunter in his step. Abandoned and fighting a war with only one commander and no army. Hanzo had been steamrolled immediately. 

Hanzo had fought the rest of the night against the sudden notion that Genji was plotting against the clan. That he was going to betray them to the government. Hanzo met with Genji one last time to get him to at least come to another meeting. And Genji had exploded. He'd shouted that he wanted nothing to do with the clan and all it was. That he didn't want to rule over evil like Hanzo did. That he hated Hanzo and everything their family stood for. 

Like sharks sensing blood in the water, the Elders had been on him the moment he entered the meeting room. No more solid ties to fight against them with. No brother to stand behind him unconditionally. He'd folded easier than paper for origami. Talked into murder because of hurt feelings.

"Why couldn't I have protected him?" Hanzo wailed even as he beat the ground. "Why couldn't I have been the brother he needed?! _Why_ did I kill him?!"

"Don't know all that, now." The Samurai said and Hanzo looked back at him. "All I know is you gotta get on your feet. Learn to walk again. Not as a Shimada, not as a Kumicho, but as Hanzo."

Hanzo nodded tethered to this man's words like a lifeline. Metaphor, or reality, the Samurai spoke the truth. He needed to learn to walk again. In every way that counted. He took the hand offered to him. The Samurai helped him up with both arms and once Hanzo was back on his artificial feet their eyes met. With a nod the Samurai stepped back and Hanzo took one step forward. The pressure still ached, but he didn't buckle. He took another and the foreign weight vanished with a thought. Motion was all he needed.

"There ya go. So you're angry, what are you going to do about it?" The Samurai asked. Hanzo marveled at the way each step was taken. Learning the way it gave, the way his body was shifting with it.

"I'm going to kill all of the Elders who ordered me to murder my brother." Hanzo growled. "I will give my brothers spirit peace knowing they perished for their role in his death."

"And you?" The Samurai asked, his gaze dipped to where Hanzo's scar was. 

"I will have to live on or perish in battle." Hanzo said the truth he had to live with. His dragons would not let him end his wretched life. "I can atone no other way for what I've done."

"Guess I don't have anything to say to that. It's not my place." The Samurai nodded, then smirked. "I am Akechi Rin, nice to meet you Hanzo."


	12. Re-equip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo gets his new legs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact I like to think Mujin looks like Tadashi from Big Hero 6. Only a little because of the hat and older because he's older than Hanzo.

Hanzo groaned as he woke up from the anesthesia. His dragons rushed from his mental prison and flooded his mind with anxious worry. Hanzo failed an arm for his mask and momentary panic surged when he only managed to swat his face. What had happened? Was he given something to impair him further? 

"Peace, Hanzo-San." Kano spoke to him. Hanzo turned in the little clinic bed he lay in. They had found a clinic in town equipped to do this procedure. The doctors had been reluctant to let them use the operating room. But when a doctor who worked exclusively with the Samurai had come to help, no one questioned the man. With Kano and Kirai assisting with the surgery Hanzo had been a little more relaxed about it. Rin and Taro had even stood guard in case anyone came for him while he was in surgery

"H-how did it go?" Hanzo asked as he managed to grab the oxygen mask and pull it off. He was already feeling more himself, but there was still that fuzzy feeling keeping his body feeling a bit wooden compared to how he was used to it feeling. 

"Perfectly. Allow me to let Dr. Mitsuhide know you've woken up." Kano stood and left the curtained area. Moments later Dr. Mitsuhide with his bald head and wrinkled visage appeared. He was no longer dressed in scrubs, but in a crisp button down and slacks. They had talked at length about the procedure before hand. 

"How are you feeling Hanzo-San?" Dr. Mitsuhide came forward to take his pulse and remove the IV from his bare arm.

"Distant." Hanzo huffed, "Morphine?"

"Correct. Your nerves are going to be aggravated for a few days. As well as the site where your ports are located. But thankfully, the procedure went perfectly. I reordered the nerves and cleaned up the fraying from your amputation. There will be less chance of further aggravation to those nerves. Provided you take it easy, you should be a prime candidate for bionic legs." Dr. Mitsuhide nodded with a pleased expression. "I understand Kibutsuji-Chan is designing them?"

"Yes, she should be in the waiting room if you have any concerns to her work." Kano interjected.

"Then I will look them over with her." He pulled a box of bandages and a tube of salve from his doctors coat. "They will need to be treated for infection. After two days you may accelerate the healing with nanites. No sooner or they will remove the ports themselves. Painfully."

"You have my thanks." Hanzo nodded his head to the doctor.

"You're welcome Hanzo-San." The doctor nodded back and Hanzo looked at Kano.

"Have you paid him for me?" Hanzo asked.

"From your account as you requested." Kano nodded. Good, that was going to deplete Hanzo nearly back to where he was before he'd done the Osaka job. He was going to have to fall into independent mercenary work to do what needed done. After he cleaned up the clan though.

Hanzo used the raised edges of the hospital bed to lever himself into a sitting position. The doctor sat a small paper bag down on the rolling table. "Your pain medication, keep with it until the nerves settle with the port attachments."

"I will." Hanzo nodded. With that finished the doctor left the area and Kano tugged the curtain closed once more. He lifted the folded clothing from the chair to sit on the bed before him. Kano hesitated as if he wanted to help but Hanzo had not been receptive to it lately.

Kano nodded to him once and left Hanzo alone. Hanzo was grateful for the Omnic's silent discretion. Everyone seemed mindful of his new boundaries. The boundaries of a beaten dog, but a prideful beaten dog. It had been a full three weeks since his melt down. Christmas was coming and he knew his legs would be done soon.

He'd endured thousands of questions about his capabilities before he lost his legs. Theoretical questions that he enjoyed discussing with Megumi. She had showed him some features but largely kept a lot if it to herself. Hanzo figured she didn't want him knowing her ideas. But he had a feeling, judging by get forlorn looks as he explained what he could do before, that she just wanted to give him _his_ quality of life back.

Hanzo didn't know how to thank that level of generosity. 

Hanzo shook his head and tugged the long sleeve shirt over his head. He pulled the baggy black sweats up and laid back to get them over his hips. He knotted them and tucked the ends into the cargo pockets he'd bought them for. A thick hooded jacket waited on the wheelchair that sat next to the bed. It was awkward wheeling around Mujin, but the other man just smiled when they came across one another wheeling about the house. Hanzo felt selfish, hungering for new legs while Mujin had found peace in his paralysis. 

This was the difficult part. He'd barely seen Mujin get to and from the chair with any difficulty. The ease of practice Hanzo supposed. But Hanzo was no master at this, at least not yet. He arranged the chair and blew out a breath. Falling down here would not be optimal. Not with Taro lurking around thinking he needed to _help._

With a small shift of his weight on the bed and the table he managed to seat himself on the chair. Hanzo relaxed, at least he wasn't going to embarass himself in front of anyone. He grabbed the items from the table and tucked them into his bag before he slung it behind the chairs handles. He pulled free the blanket under one leg stump and spread it over to protect against the cold.

He was as ready as he would ever be. Hanzo grasped the large wheels and directed himself out of the curtained area. There were nine other beds in this large room, none of which were occupied at the moment. A nurse entered and smiled at him. He jolted a little and realized why the room was empty. 

"Got some creepy Omnic ports in you now boy?" Rin asked as he sized the handles and wheeled Hanzo to the door. Fighting this man on anything was too much work. So he just let the old Samurai direct him through the hall of exam rooms.

"Don't let Kano hear you talking like that. Your next set of stitches will be poorly done." Hanzo scoffed. And they would Kano was a shrewd Omnic. When Rin made too many Omnic barbs he would find himself without the level of medical treatment necessary to make up for his mouth. Rin might be around what his father's age would be, but he acted much like a teenager would.

"Hmm, you're right, don't wanna scuff with him. He fights dirty." Rin shot one leg out and kicked the door open to whip Hanzo around and pull the chair out. For all his stupidity, Rin picked up on things quickly. Being a buffer against a room full of people helped Hanzo to not panic. He didn't know why the man had just _known_ what Hanzo needed. But he wasn't going to complain.

"Yo! Our surly grump is ready to get out of here!" Rin yelled. Hanzo side eyed him in irritation.

"Hanzo-San, Rin hasn't rushed you has he?" Mujin wheeled over worry on his face.

"No, I am ready to depart should everyone else like to leave." Hanzo said and Taro joined from the hall leading to the waiting area bathroom. Kano took over pushing Mujin forward and Hanzo didn't fight Rin as he led the way. Taro pushed out of the main doors with sweeping eyes. Kirai appeared behind them and they made their way through the cold air to the large van parked in the lot. 

"We have another stop to make before we head back." Mujin said as they were all piling in. "Megumi took off a few hours ago right when you were checked in. We'll go pick her up. But there are some people there who wish to see you if you're alright with that?" 

Ah, the Kurosawa family. He needed to apologize to them. "Very well." 

The small town rolled around them as they drove off and Taro looked at him worriedly. Hanzo had not talked to Taro since he'd yelled at him. Taro seemed awkwardly jealous of how close Rin had become to him in the weeks since he'd started practicing getting his feet under him. Rin was a surly asshole who reminded him too much of Genji and his father. But he was blunt and Hanzo needed that bluntness. He didn't want to be coddled because of his disability, and Rin didn't have a coddling bone in his body. 

They pulled up at a large house and Hanzo unfolded his own wheelchair and climbed into it like he hadn't just had nerve surgery. The medication would wear off soon enough, but until then he was going to appear as capable as possible. Taro hovered and Hanzo glared at him. "It might be best you stay outside with the car." 

"Ah, right." Taro nodded with an embarassed flush on his cheeks. 

"If you intend to stay you'd best apologize to them at some point." Hanzo glared and Kirai swatted her husband on the back of the head. Hanzo took the wheels to his chair and wheeled up the angled sidewalk to the ramp leading to the door. He rang the doorbell as Mujin got out into his own wheelchair much slower and more leisurely. It was cute the way he played up his handicap to get Kano to reach out and help. Just to initiate lingering hands and meaningful looks between them. 

Hanzo shook his head and looked up as there was a scuffle behind the door. Rin sauntered over and pulled his sheathed katana from his belt as the door was swung open. Keito and Megumi were panting as they nearly fought over the door. Behind them Michiko hovered awkwardly. "You're out of surgery!" 

Hanzo directed his gaze to Megumi's purple head and nearly swallowed his tongue when he noticed they had all dyed their hair. Keito was now sporting a bright red, Michiko wore a deep blue. Megumi had gotten to them it seemed. "I'm fine, may I come in?" 

"Please!" Keito sputtered and they all stepped out of the genkan. Hanzo wheeled in and angled to the low step. He crawled from his chair and settled to take a cloth from his bag to wipe down the wheels. Rin toed off his boots and set his sword next to a dark blue sword settled on a rack. No weapons in the house it seemed. Hanzo settled his gear bag there and pulled the now clean wheelchair up to get back into it. Everyone hovered over him but Rin shot his foot out like he would kick the whole thing. He'd done that once to tease Hanzo. He ended up witha vicious black eye that had needed nanites to fix. The old bastard deserved it. 

Hanzo settled and swiped at Rin who danced away. He angled his head back and bellowed into the house. "Oi Nishi! Let's get drunk!" 

Rin padded off into the house no doubt in search of the Samurai who was hosting. Hanzo just turned his gaze to the Kurosawa children and Megumi. "Where is your father? I have much to apologize for." 

Keito winced and nodded, he led the way into the main room where Keigo and Minami both sat around a kotatsu. Machiko was sporting a dark green hue to her hair that instantly reminded him of Genji. Though it wasn't _his_ shade of green. Hanzo would never forget Genji's shade of green for as long as he lived. Keigo made to get up but Hanzo waved a hand. He locked his chair and angled himself down to the tatami floor. Everyone watched him awkwardly in horror before Hanzo settled and leaned forward over his stumps to bow his head. 

"I am deeply sorry for all the trouble I have caused you and your family." Hanzo apologized. He would never have been the kind of man that did not atone and make right his mistakes. This was one he regretted horribly. He had endangered this entire family, uprooted them and ruined their business. 

"Seems you got the worst end of it." Keigo said. "Out of a job huh?" 

"I left the Shimada-Gumi, and I was hunted for it." Hanzo said and kept his head bowed. "I did everything I could to keep them away from your store. It was not enough." 

"It wasn't your fault! It was those assholes-!" Keito cried from just behind Hanzo. Hanzo shook his head and Keito deflated. This was Hanzo's fault alone. 

"You helped save my daughter and they got retribution." Keigo sighed. "Can't be blamed for that. Though you brought that gangster back with you." 

"He brought me out of the Shimada's hands. I apologize for his actions against you." Hanzo apologized. "If there is anything I can do to make this right I will." 

"Make it right? Boy you lost your legs!" Keigo waved at him and Minami sighed shaking her head at her husband. "Can't stock shelves like that." 

Hanzo jerked his head up in shock. Keigo still considered him his employee. Keigo smirked at how unsettled he looked. "I cannot thank you enough for all you did for me. I was very lost and low on funds when you took me in to work. I am forever in your debt." 

"Then once you get some robot feet under you, come and stock a few shelves. That money you had Kibutsuji give us was enough to restart here. Once Kibutsuji says it's safe, there's even a house here we can buy." Keigo said calmly. "It's not like we're destitute now." 

"I'm glad that you could restart. I'm very sorry that you had to restart at all." Hanzo shook his head. "This was all my fault." 

"Maybe, but we're all alive." Keigo nodded. "Though I wasn't expecting to have _actual_ Samurai Soldiers protecting us. Real honor to meet them." 

"I think so as well." Hanzo chuckled and the air seemed to deflate around them. 

"Okay, now that that's all done I have more questions!" Megumi barged into his sight with her tablet. "We need to talk about the dragons!" 

"The dragons?" Keito asked and the two daughters flanked him curiously. Hanzo sighed and looked at Megumi. 

"What about them?" 

"What are they? How do they react to your body? Will they melt your legs like they did the bow?" She asked and Hanzo hummed in thought. He'd been careful not to let her garner any information about them. But now that he thought about it he _was_ worried they might melt the legs. That would be an embarrassingly fatal mistake. 

"They should not. They only react as such with my weapons." Hanzo said even as Udon and Ramen puzzled about it as well. 

"Why though?" Megumi asked. 

"I forged my swords, and they were the only ones that haven't been damaged by the dragons." Hanzo explained. "There is a weapons master I will be visiting when my legs are finised. I will have to help him forge a new weapon." 

"Well I'm going with you then. I don't want your arrows to burn up under the dragons again." Megumi nodded and Hanzo slumped in defeat. Megumi was like a small hurricane. He was just tugged along in her wake. 

" _That_ is entirely up to your father." Hanzo was pleased to not be responsible for her. He remembered being dragged along on Genji's whims the moment they had to go out on a job together. Being the responsible one he hadn't let his brother out of his sight. He wished he was trailing behind his shopping brother again, being forced to try out the local resturants. Posing for hundreds of selfies that Genji just _had to have_. Hanzo sighed and looked back at Keigo. 

"So what's your name really?" Keigo asked suddenly. "Obviously it's not Nakamura Shoji." 

"No, that is an alias." Hanzo inclined his head apologetically. "My name is Shimada Hanzo, please just call me Hanzo." 

"Oh, so you were _really_ part of the Shimada-Gumi." Keigo blinked in shock. 

"I was the Kumicho." Hanzo said and everything fell silent around him again. Megumi just tapped away on her tablet while everyone processed that he had been the head of the largest yakuza empire in Japan. Hanzo winced at the reality, these people were so much better than he was as a person. He wasn't even worthy to be in their presence. Innocent and good people did not need a wounded wolf like him staining their floor. 

"Holy shit." Michiko gasped. 

"That's like so crazy." Machiko agreed. 

"So that's how you could fight like that." Keito said with stars in his eyes. 

"Ah, yes." Hanzo waved a hand. "I was training to fight about as soon as I could walk." 

"You were _raised_ in the yakuza?" Minami asked wide eyed. The eyes of a mother who couldn't imagine her child being raised as a gangster much less an assassin like him. And he'd gotten his lessons in both.

"I inherited my role from my father." Hanzo nodded for all the good it did him. His title did nothing to save him from the Elders plans, and it did nothing to save Genji from him. 

"Well damn boy, I should have had you shake down that bastard who owned the store down the street from us. He poached our customers." Keigo laughed loudly and Minami buried her head in her hand exasperated. Hanzo shook his head and chuckled, at least they didn't have competition _now_. 

 

* * *

 

Hanzo spent christmas sleeping on and off. He ignored anyone who came to visit, even Rin who thumped around taking the bulk of the alcohol from his room. Hanzo was left with a single bottle of plum wine and nothing else. It was for the best, he didn't want to poison himself. But he couldn't stomach spending the holiday with anyone. It was the first time he wouldn't have Genji with him.

Their last Christmas was cut short because Genji had a date. But before he left they had sat in the suite of their penthouse hotel and ate cake and sweets. Their parents had already died and spending the time together had been the best they could manage. Hanzo still let Genji leave to enjoy the rest of it how he wished. Hanzo spent the rest of his night drunk and sleeping with a man from the bar of the hotel. Pleasent, but a reminder of everything he had lost in the past year. His brother, his inheritance, his honor. 

It wasn't right for Hanzo to celebrate knowing he had done so much to ruin himself. Killing Genji was still so _very_ unforgivable. And Hanzo wanted nothing to do with forgiving himself. Instead he laid in his futon and let Udon and Ramen roam the room playing with his silk scarves. The plum wine was sweet and sour, strong since he wasn't drinking with any ice to dilute it. But it was enough to fog his mind, to take all of his emotions and make them distant. 

Hanzo sat up when the heard footsteps rush down the hall towards his room. Udon and Ramen rushed him, their little bodies scrambling up his long sleeve kyudo-gi and into the tattoo. A hasty knock sounded and he called out to whoever it was. "Come in." 

"Hanzo-san!" Megumi rushed in with a large box in her hands. "They're done!" 

Rin and Mujin appeared right behind her and Hanzo blinked at Megumi. He honestly hadn't expected her until the next day. He had no real deadline for her to finish her work. But he reached for his chair to wheel outside to test them when she rushed forward. "No no, these can be worn inside and out." 

Hanzo blinked at her and she sat the box down to pull open. He stared down at the physical versions of the blueprints he'd been looking at for weeks. He reached out to run his fingers along the segmented length of the prosthetic. There were no visible rods in place, it was sleek like a shin and calf. He pulled one out and the ankle fell loose, there were even knee and ankle joints. Hanzo looked at the feet and they were segmented into the shape of tabi. Below them were slide on heels that wrapped around the toes and made the whole thing look like armor. 

He turned the whole leg around and looked at the knee joint and the socket that was made for his legs. There were the nerve plates that would rub against the three disks set into his own skin. He reached inside and there was a gel type filling that would insulate and grasp his skin without chaffing. Hanzo looked at Megumi who was beaming in pride. "They'll interface with your nerve uplinks and tighten unless you release them here." 

Hanzo ran his finger along the edge and found the switch on each leg on the outside of the calves. He traced the metal material and looked at Megumi, "These are amazing." 

"Great, now put them on!" She grinned brightly. 

Hanzo was suddenly nervous. He pulled his blanket aside and ducked his head in apology for his boxers. He had not intended to have visitors, but now he didn't much care. He'd been letting his stumps breathe through the last few days of healing. His nerve hook ups were nestled into scar tissue and healed perfectly. He checked the legs for each side and tucked his right stump into the socket. He ran his finger along the sensor and the leg tightened around his stump. The pressure was strong, but almost immediately it was a thought long gone. 

The nerve uplinks came alive smoothly and Hanzo had complete control of his ankle and his knee. He tapped his foot in the air and his breath whoosed out in disbelief. He scrambled to get the other knee on and once it had suctioned to his stump he was moving both feet in soft circles to marvel that he _felt_ that motion. He bent his legs up and grasped his metal knees. 

He rolled to his knees and marvelled that while he could still feel the ends of his stumps any discomfort was nothing compared to the feeling of having _legs_ again. Hanzo angled one foot flat, there was no awkward shuffling like with his other legs. Just immediate response as if these were real. Hanzo cautiously got to his feet, he balanced evenly on his feet. They felt light, perfectly designed to spread his weight and leave little sound. Hanzo looked up as he gained his full height at last. 

Hanzo took a step and closed his eyes at the way it felt. It was muted compared to how it felt before he lost his legs. But it was so _good_. He nearly wept for how nice it was to walk under his own power with no difficulty. One step, then another, and another. Hanzo opened his eyes and strode to the door, he rounded the corner and walked to the door he'd crawled to weeks ago. Outside he looked down at the frosted ground and stepped to it. No temperature, but he could live with that.

Hanzo spied a tree nearby with sturdy branches. He took off like a shot towards it. The shouting behind him wasn't even on his radar. The moment he was near the trunk he launched himself up the side and climbed it as deftly and easily as he had climbed anything in his childhood. And he could _feel_ it. No guessing at how to shift his weight, no checking how to step so as not to stumble. He was able to get his feet under him and vault forward once out into the air in such a lunge that he cleared the outer branch and caught it with his hand.

Hanzo laughed as he pulled himself onto the branch in a crouch. The cold wind blew across his face and it was the best thing he'd ever felt. Hanzo smiled into the night and vowed he was going to honor his brother. However he had to do so, he was going to atone for what he had done. He was going to start by visiting Masamune-Dono. Then the Elders were going to perish for their role in Genji's murder. 

 


	13. Forge Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo meets an old master and begs a favor.

"So, who is this guy Hanzo?" Rin asked as he trailed Hanzo from the station in a remote station north of Mt. Fuji. There was no town around where he was going. Masamune preferred the solitude, and considering his work for the Shimada Heirs it was no wonder. Not many people used hand forged swords anymore either. Many sword masters employed much faster manufacturing methods. But not Masamune, he did the whole process by hand for his katana collection. The other weapons didn't elicit the same dedication, but they were no less perfect. 

"His name is Masamune Ichiyose. He was a teen when he met my father for the first time. But the Masamune family has forged weapons for the Shimada family for centuries. They alone know the method of creating that won't become ash under the dragon's might." Hanzo trailed his fingers over his tattoo in thought. "After I recieved my tattoo, I spent two summers forging a katana and wakizashi that would follow me into the adulthood."

"What makes them so special?" Megumi asked as she walked between Hanzo in the lead and Rin in the back.

"Technically, only my blood." Hanzo laughed. "It was a way to build character more than anything. My blood, in the method he forged, created something the dragons could not destroy."

"So, theoretically, you only need blood to make the weapon?" Megumi wondered.

"That is a question best left for Masamune-Dono." Hanzo chuckled. They caught a bus that would run out near the entrance to the Masamune Shrine. It had not always been a shrine, but after the Crisis it became one. Masamune was a man backed by Hanzo's father, so no one had questioned him taking the land for himself and expanding his forge. With his original one trampled by Bastion units he needed to restart. Hanzo had come here when it was his turn to be the old masters student.

They disembarked on the fresh looking stairway marked by a line of barren cherry blossom trees. Coming here when they were in bloom was a different sight entirely. Like Hanamura had spawned these shrine grounds forth miles away. And in a way, it had. Hanzo stepped up onto the first stair and was so glad he didn't have to crawl up it with no legs. He would have done so without hesitation if that was what it took. He started the procession and despite her fervor, Megumi was flagging immediately.

Hanzo just smiled as he remembered Genji loudly complaining that the stairs were torture. Hanzo had complained his first time as well. But there was a certain kind of magic in coming to Masamune-Dono. By the time one returned to the road, the stairs were no longer daunting.

An hour passed as they walked slowly for Megumi. Rin just carried the rear and tucked his arms into his kimono as he lazed through the trek. Hanzo clutched his bow bag and steeled himself for Masamune-Donor's disapproval. There would be anger, and probably groveling. But Hanzo would swallow his pride for this. He didn't have much of it left anyways.

The shrine came into focus. The main building flanked by three outbuildings one was the house, another the forge, and the last was the dojo. There were Masamune's young grandchildren all over sweeping the grounds. One of them looked up and saw Hanzo, but he wouldn't look anything like he did when he first came here.

With a whisper among them one ran for their parent and Hanzo waited. Eventually an older man came out, his age a little above Hanzo's. Masamune's third son, Yuki. He walked forward in the traditional robes of a shrine monk. As he drew closer he recognized Hanzo. He started and reached for the tanto he kept in his robes.

"Peace." Hanzo lifted a hand to stay the attack brewing. "I have come seeking your father. There will be no bloodshed from me here."

Yuki screwed his face up in anger. But he huffed and nodded. "I will tell him you've come. His judgement will be harsh."

"It is deserved, but not the true fitting punishment I desire." Hanzo said truthfully and Yuki sighed. He waved a hand to the dojo. Once at the large building Hanzo took off the outer shells on his feet and brushed away the dust that gathered near the ankle joints. He left his bags at the large genkan and stepped onto the hardwood floor.

Rin joined him and Megami hovered at the edges. Hanzo turned to regard them both, "For my crimes Masamune-Dono will punish me. Do not interfere."

"You were _just_ tortured." Rin's eyes hardened.

"In the world I live in, that is commonplace. I came here to ask a favor, he will not be pleased to answer me." Hanzo stated firmly. "To me, this is not the torture you perceive it as. This is a level of atonement for the evil I alone committed. A cleansing, though there will be no cure to clean my soul."

"Glad you understand." The cold voice from just behind them made Hanzo straighten. He stepped to the side and Rin and Megumi moved to the other side. Masamune Ichiyose was a tall old man with a massive collection of muscles. He wore hakama and a pale kyudo-gi that was lightly tied. His gray hair was piled back in a topknot and his hands were knarled with burn scars. "You dishonored me, Hanzo."

"I did." Hanzo bowed his head. Masamune took his seat at the head of the dojo. Hanzo paced before the weapon master and sank to his artificial knees. He leaned over them and bowed his head properly and waited. "I dishonored myself."

"Hmm, I did not forge Storm and Rain Swords for you to duel with. They were never meant to take the blood of family." Masamune snarled. "Kinslayer, why have you come to dishonor me further?"

"I must make right the wrong I committed." Hanzo spoke plainly. "I must kill the elders who ordered the deed. Genji deserves to know they perished in the afterlife."

"Three of your elders are already dead." Masamune snorted. "Overwatch and it's little black ops team has left Japan. Reports came from that torture shack where you lost your legs. They killed three of them and called it that."

He was well respected, of course the Shimada would keep him informed. Hoping that the older man would turn Hanzo over if he came here. "You want me to forge you another sword? You're barking up the wrong tree."

"Storm Blade is still whole. There is a large imperfection from Genji's blade, a scar from our fight." Hanzo reported. "I killed my brother with Storm Blade, I dishonored my weapon with my brother's lifeblood. I will never use another katana, I do not deserve the honor. I came to ask you for a bow that will withstand the dragon's power."

"A bow?!" Masamune hissed. "I'll make you _nothing_."

"I beg you Masamune-Dono, I have fought nearly unarmed to protect a family I put in danger. To rescue the girl in this room. My dragons are too strong for basic bows. I need a weapon forged by _your_ methods to survive until I can atone." Hanzo pressed his head tight to the floor. "I beg you, any punishment you see fit I will endure."

"And if I tell you to die?" Masamune asked archly. Hanzo lifted his hands and pulled his thick long sleeved shirt up to expose his abdomen. Nestled next to his abs was the jagged light colored scar of his failed attempt at seppuku.

"I tried to honor Genji by taking my own life. But my dragons have said otherwise." Hanzo said and waited as Masamune scrutinized him. "I must atone by living, because death would be a relief I am not to give myself."

Masamune stared at him hard for a long time. Before he sighed wearily. "Did you do it for you?"

"I don't think so, but I would not be surprised that my pride might have played a role. I was so lost that I barely remember how I felt leading up to it." Hanzo closed his eyes to his pain. "I was sure Genji was turning against the clan. The Elders were convincing in their persuasions. They were sure he was going to betray us to the authorities. Perhaps Overwatch, considering how quickly they set upon the clan, maybe he did. I have no evidence of that though one way or the other. He renounced me, our name, his place on the clan however. That told me there was truth there, somewhere. We dueled honestly, but it went to the death. It was only as I summoned the Dragons in a last clash between us that I realized it was not worth it. It didn't matter what the reason for him renouncing us was. He was _my_ brother, _my_ blood, and _I_ murdered him. That will never be forgiven."

Masamune rubbed his chin and huffed. He rose to his feet, "Purify yourself. We start at dawn."

The old man left the dojo and Hanzo slumped in relief. He leaned to sit on his heels. Rin dropped his posture near Hanzo and sighed deeply. "Well, that was terrifying."

"So he'll do it?" Megumi asked worriedly.

"He will." Hanzo nodded. He'd expected a flogging really, punishment for his crime to absolve him of its sin. This was almost worse. He stood and returned to the genkan. He slipped the artificial soles back on and waved to his companions. Yuki's wife Tsuna was waiting for them. "Masamune Tsuna will take you both to the main house. Please rest as guests, I must prepare for tomorrow."

Rin looked like he wanted to argue, but Megumi looked determined to question the family. There was a division of responsibility here and Rin's responsibility was to Megumi. The moment they were gone Hanzo set off for the falls.

On Mt. Fuji there were two main waterfalls to visit. But during the Crisis a battle had happened before the war pushed back towards the Omnium. This battle was a scar in the land here. Between the Omnics and the mortar fire the damage to the volcano cut out large swaths of the earth. Deep in the still marred battle ground were ore deposits and land rebirth. One such new formation was a waterfall that spilled into the Masamune territory. It fell over a now dormant lava spill. 

It was there that Hanzo found a small shrine. Inside housed salt and robes for ceremony. Hanzo took off his jacket and shirt. He shed his pants and shivered for only a moment before he pulled free a sack of salt to rub across his whole body. They left stinging trails of raw flesh behind, but that was the point. Hanzo bowed his head and clasped his hands together to pray for purification. With that done he walked to the pathway that cut under the falls. 

There were smooth lava stone formations that jutted out into the falls that made the perfect places to meditate and purify himself. He breathed a chant in honor of the water and the storms. Then he stepped under the water and sank to sit cross legged. The water poured down the back of his neck and shoulders. Fierce and heavy and cold, Hanzo needed this more than he'd thought. 

Udon and Soba slithered down his arm and grew in size until they were roughly towering a foot over his head on either side. They let the water spill down their own bodies. Hanzo smiled at their support and turned his mind inwards. The water was icy cold, yet that was a distant thought. The cold breeze promised snow later in the night. But Hanzo turned his focus to his mental state and how tightly he was holding onto the fraying edges.

Hanzo let it all free. Udon and Ramen both shuddered with growls as he let the fear, the hate, the disgust flow out of him. He was the master of his own mind, and no matter the trauma inflicted in him, he was not going to fall beneath it again. Hanzo was not going to let anyone poison his mind again.

Hanzo spent hours letting the waterfall pound the worry away. Breaking down the weak exterior that he badly held. Reminding him that he had a core of steel and storms. That he was a force to be reckoned with, not a dog to be beaten down into obedience. Ramen coiled around him before returning to the tattoo. Udon waited a little longer before he did the same. Hanzo focused on his breathing once more and finally, _finally_ , found his center. 

Hanzo rose the moment he sensed someone coming into the area. He opened his gaze to find Masamune walking to the small shrine carrying a large towel. Hanzo walked out to him and the old man looked him over carefully. 

"Feel better?" Masamune asked handing over the towel. Hanzo bowed his thanks and took it. 

"For now." Hanzo said truthfully. He removed his wet boxers and dried off. "But it doesn't all feel so close now ."

He dressed back in his clothing, ignoring the chill to his cold numb flesh. It might be cold, but it felt like living. He hadn't performed any rites, he washed away his sins to be clean and open to his dragons without the mental mess tainting the process. It felt like it did when he was a child. "Your friends are settled in the main house. The young girl has some interesting questions."

"She is a weapons engineer." Hanzo chuckled and towel dried his short hair.

"I was impressed with the information she'd managed to gather. I think I'll have her sit in and watch." Masamune smirked knowingly. "You stole a real gem from your family."

"She's the daughter of a Samurai. She didn't deserve the fate Sakai would have leveled on her." Hanzo shook his head. "She can do a lot of good for Japan's national security. The Shimada had no rights to get her first."

"You would have used her yourself had everything gone differently." Masamune scoffed.

"I would have, and that's the problem." Hanzo sighed ruefully. "I tried so hard to fill the shoes my father left. To make him proud, and in doing so I failed his legacy immeasurably. I killed my own brother to preserve our family's work. Betraying my family in doing so."

"Do you seek redemption?" Masamune asked as they started waking towards the shrine.

"I think I am beyond redemption. But I can _try_ to be better." Hanzo looked at his hands and clenched his fingers. "I will endanger any civilians I try to hide among. Civilian life is not for me. Not because I can't do it, but because the assassins won't allow me to live that way."

"You have always been an assassin Hanzo, there was no one better at the sword than you. Genji came the closest." Masamune nodded and tucked his hands into his sleeves. "You will have a hard path to follow now. Killing to make right the wrongs done by those of your world. It will be thankless, cold, and lonely."

"It is penance." Hanzo said truthfully. "Udon and Ramen like the idea of killing the Elders for what they did to me, but I'm killing them for the orders they gave me. Taking this path will never absolve me off my guilt. But it will help Genji rest in peace. It is all I can do."

"Very well." Masamune waved to the forge. "Pick a core from the ore house now. In the morning you will go out to find the right wood. Something the Dragons pick."

"You have my thanks Masamune-Dono." Hanzo bowed low and polite.

"Dinner is in a few hours. Hot pot for the guests." Masamune nodded. "Do not miss it."

Hanzo headed for the forge and was surprised to find some much newer equipment set up alongside the very traditional versions. Masamune must have expanded since Hanzo was last here. He turned to the storage room and opened it to the various shelves of ore pieces dug from the grounds. Hanzo held out his tattooed arm and Udon and Ramen pulled only their heads free. 

Hanzo had always found this process difficult. Udon and Ramen had different tastes. It took a long time to get them to agree on anything. Hanzo settled in and walked along the shelves one row at a time to let them look. He was unsettled by the lack of bickering between them. When both his katana and wakizashi were forged they argued for hours over the best ore. Which one shined more, which was stronger, which would look better.

This time they made small whispers, in a language Hanzo did not know, to reach other. Then they struck at once for a large piece tucked on a shelf in the far back. Hanzo lifted the large piece and turned it over in his hand.  "Are you both sure?"

 _ **'This one will be strong.'**_ Udon spoke casually.

 _ **'It will hold through us with no damage.'**_ Ramen nosed it once before sinking back into the tattoo. Hanzo left the storeroom and sat the ore on the large table in the middle of the forge. Udon and Ramen radiated with satisfaction. He quirked a small smile and let them have their moment.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo dragged the last of the tree he'd chosen for material to the forge. He'd walked for hours since dawn looking for the right tree. Then he'd cut it down with no help. He'd sectioned the pieces and one by one dragged the behemoth back to the shrine grounds. Then he waited outside to be called in. Megumi wandered out looking awed at his haul. Hanzo just scratched absently at the bandage on his forearm from his donated blood for the project.

"Hanzo-San you didn't say the dragons were like contained storms. Wind and electricity. They look like Hardlight!" Megumi wailed accusingly. Hanzo was prepared for this though, as he always was when someone asked about the dragons. Not even Masamune had the full answer.

"Who ever said Hardlight was the first of its kind?" Hanzo chuckled as he walked past her into the forge as she sputtered and shrieked in disbelief. Udon and Ramen shared their amusement with him.

"Alright boy, I figured out the design. Your little friend had some thoughts." Masamune chuckled. "I think she truly thought I was going to give you a traditional bow."

"Your traditional style gives that impression." Hanzo nodded with a warm small smile. "But this is not a katana."

"It is not, well, need you to ignite the forge now. I'll work on the core and body piece first." Masamune said thoughtfully. "You and the Dragons need to strip some wood. The whole thing needs infused with their energy. I need layers of that wood and some more flexible cores. I'll work on that myself. But I need that wood and this ore the most."

Hanzo nodded, he took the flint and walked to the forge. His blood was in the forge coals already. He sparked an ember and blew into it. Within moments it was alive with fire. He took the offered tool sling from Masamune and left him to create a core for the bow. Megumi was waiting for him outside with a curious tilt to her head. 

"Going to watch huh?" Hanzo lifted a brow and she crossed her arms.

"There needs to be multiple layers for more limbs. We're making more than one set." She tossed her head and narrowed he gaze on him. "There's a scientific explanation here somewhere."

"Probably not. The spirit dragons will remain myth unto someone can create a scientific answer." Hanzo said and tugged his jacket off to free his hands. As he did Udon and Ramen lifted from his tattoo to coil around both of his arms. They blurred into scales that hovered an inch off of his skin like scales. He wrapped his wreathed hands around the first tool and set towards the massive cut tree. It lay in three large segments. The thickest branches already pulled off to be saved.

With Hanzo's awareness bursting with Ramen and Udon he tore into the work. He was hyper aware of everything around him and time wore down as he stripped bark. He prepared the wood in the correct measurements. Sawing and wearing away until he had the correct piles of wood. When he was done he stood in a sea of sawdust and bark. He set thee tools aside. Each one having been covered with sawdust.

Hanzo exhaled and looked over the steaming tree. Megumi gaped at him as he ran his glowing hands over the wood. "Will this do?"

 _ **'Perfect.'**_ Udon rumbled in his mind.

 _ **'We can have multiple thanks to this.'**_ Ramen cooed. _**'Lots of pretty new bows.'**_

"Very well." Hanzo lifted his arms up and they retracted back to the tattoo. Hanzo's shoulders slumped. It was less work compared to the katana forging. But now it was out of his hands. It was now up to Masamune to create something from Hanzo's start. 


	14. Storm Bow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Hanzo gets Storm Bow

It took a solid week for Masamune to leave the forge. Hanzo spent that time meditating, regathering his center. He'd felt so off balance since Genji had died that he'd just functioned while feeling that off. The most calm and centered he'd felt was when he infiltrated the mountain station to get Megumi back to her fathers. And that mission had been a mess. _He_ had been a mess.

Now as Hanzo spent day after day doing chores for the shrine, meditating, practicing with his other bows; he was finding himself again. The part of him that loved the feeling of training his body. He loved tiring himself out and rediscovering his limits. Finding not just what was different from sword training. When the day came that Masamune exited his forge.

He didn't come to look for Hanzo, instead he went to Megumi and they shut themselves in for another two days. Hanzo was a little worried and it reflected on his practice performance. Rin was nearly non-existant the entire visit. Though Hanzo knew where the man was, skilled as he was he wasn't a ninja like Hanzo had trained to be. Rin paced the grounds in the morning, afternoon, and night. In between he played with the children, gossiped with their mothers, and slept on the roof of the dojo.

Hanzo had just risen for his morning routine when Yuki came for him. Hanzo dressed in his more traditional clothing. A black kyudo-gi with lightning and storm clouds embossed on one sleeve. His matching hakama were tied off at his knee and an armored cuff circled the joint. Hanzo scrubbed his hand through his short hair and his returning beard. It would do until he had enough hair to groom properly.

Hanzo set off across the property and stopped at the Dojo when he noticed Rin was waiting for him. "Good morning."

"Morning," Rin rolled a small sprig of mint between his lips and stared him up and down. "Don't think I've ever seen you looking so official."

"I used to dress much more conservatively. The bow requires a more loose garb." Hanzo answered. "Knowing what I do about a Masamune weapon, it will take much to master it. Even more with Megumi-Chan's influence."

"Got me there."

"This is almost a ceremony. The unveiling of a Masamune weapon. He will level his punishment on me as well." Hanzo informed the Samurai. "I will honor him in his way. Because I sullied his weapon with the lifeblood of my brother."

Hanzo entered the Dojo and slipped off the bottoms of his feet. He padded up and took the same place on the floor he had before. All of Masamune's children sat behind their father. Grandchildren behind them. Next to him his wife knelt in a crisp shrine maiden kimono. Megumi sat on his other side in a fresh traditional outfit that one of the mothers must have given her. Rin sat to the side again with interest in his elder gaze. Hanzo bowed over his knees once more.

"With a task such as a now, I should have carved you a recurve and sent you on your way." Masamune said sternly. "But, as I laid hands on the metal your dragons selected, I knew this was what I was supposed to make. The last thing I'll make for the only Shimada Heir."

"I am unworthy of the work you do." Hanzo said and looked up.

"You are not, but my duty was to your family. Should you ever bear a child you will send them at the same age once the dragons have been bestowed to them. But I doubt that will occur." Masamune huffed and waved a hand. "You are about to embark on a quest of vengeance. And you do not even have the promise of an honor death at the end of it."

"I do not." Hanzo shook his head and touched the place above his scar.

"I am loath to help you. But as this is my duty, it is also my burden. I created much more than the request however." Masamune grouse like only a master could. "Your dragons make me work hard Hanzo."

"You have my apologies. They are... _willful_." Hanzo bowed again and Ramen and Udon scoffed.

"This is my last creation for you Hanzo. And if I may say, it is the most updated thing I've ever crafted. You have your new Weapon Master to thank for this." Masamune waved a hand to Megumi who preened. "I have shared the secret of keeping your weapons from being destroyed. She will carry this truth for you, because I will never make another weapon for you."

"It is more than I deserve." Hanzo lifted from his position and folded his hands in his lap.

"For your punishment I have thought on the state of your life. And I have determined that you should bear the brand of a Shimada traitor. So that none will deal with you as Kumicho ever again." Masamune decreed and Hanzo swallowed that statement.

He reached into his kyudo-gi and shed it to his elbows. With a nod the eldest Masamune son, who generally managed the deals between the Masamune and the Shimada, stood and walked to the fireplace just outside the Dojo's doorway to the outdoor range. He returned with a glowing hot brand of two dragons circling and eating their trails.

The draconic oroboros was the clan seal of the Shimada. One could tattoo it if you were a lower tier yakuza member. As high up as Hanzo was he bore the tattoo of the Dragons grace. The brand however often went over the tattoo and named one as a deserter, a traitor, unworthy of clan death. No yakuza family would give Hanzo the same regard as a Kumicho. 

He nodded once to Masamune's son and the brand pressed above his bicep right into the meat of his deltoid. It hurt, it burned white hot and for a moment he thought of his legs. When the brand pulled away his skin was charred and red with seared flesh. The smell was the same, and Hanzo violently dragged his eyes away from it. He controlled his breathing immediately and forced down the panic and memories trying to overtake him.

With a nod gun Masamune, Tsuna peeled away from the group and came to him with a medical box. She cleaned his aching arm and bandaged it with cooling antibiotic cream. He tugged his kyudo-gi back up and resettled himself. His leaving the clan had never felt more real than it did at this moment. Never again would his name have weight for recognition alone. He would never be able to retake the clan, though he didn't want to. Hanzo was free in a way he hadn't known he could be.

Masamune reached to the covered display before him and pulled the white sheet away. Hanzo gaped at the bow that rested there, strung and waiting. It was a fusion of a recurve and a more modern takedown bow. The limbs looked more mechanical and cybernetic than he was expecting. A thick bridge was angled to guide the arrows. With a grip spaced apart from the arrow rest. Sword wrappings in sky blue wrapped around both ends of the handle above and below the arrow rest. It was silver, and blue, and black. It was stunning, perfection, Hanzo hadnt seen something so beatiful since Storm Sword had been given to him.

All at once Udon and Ramen burst from his skin. The races across the floor like the tiny creatures they were. Everyone gaped caught off guard as they appeared in their sociable, tiny bodies. Hanzo jumped up with his anxiety spiking. No one had seen them this small save for Genji and his parents.

Hanzo raced after them, crossing the spaced in hurried strides.  "Udon! Ramen!"

"Oh my God! They're so small!" Megumi gasped and the children squealed in excitement all angling to see. But they were on the bow now, slipping under and over, touching it with their little paws. Nosing the string, the wrappings, and peeking through the arrow window at each other. 

Hanzo dropped down and swept them up into his arms. A mortified flush painted his face while the terrified part of him was afraid someone would take them from him. Masamune was even wide-eyed and watching their little bodies wind around Hanzo's arms like snakes before returning to his tattoo. 

"Ah...sorry." Hanzo awkwardly shifted in place before Masamune seemed to shake himself. Hanzo could _not_ believe that had just happened in the wake of such a serious exchange. 

"So they approve then?" Masamune asked, uncharacteristically shaken. The small flush on his cheeks was different from Hanzo's. Hopefully the old master had been flattered by the dragon's enthusiasm. 

 "Y-Yes they do." Hanzo settled his hand over his wrist.

"Well, go ahead then." Masamune still looked oddly flattered. He'donly seen them large and following Hanzo's blade as they moved through katas.

Hanzo sank to one knee to at least _pretend_ they were still keeping to ceremony. He reached out with both hands and lifted the bow from the low rack it rested on. It was heavy but a thick rush of anticipation bloomed from his own heart. This was a work of art, he marveled at every sleek edge as he held it. "W-What is it's name?"

"This is the daughter to your blades. Storm and Rain were masterpieces. Matched only by Sky and Gust." Masamune said like a proud parent as he spoke of Genji's blades. Hanzo had no idea where Wind Blade and Gust had fallen to among Hanamura. Their loss nearly as great as Genji and Soba's. "Her name is Storm Bow."

 _Storm Bow._  

Hanzo drew the bow to his chest. He was unworthy of this weapon. But he would become worthy. He would rebuild his honor as a man and not some dragon lord who reigned over all the crime in Japan. He would become a man that could honor his brother.

"Now go shoot it!" Megumi gushed. There was a bright light in her eyes and Hanzo startled. He looked at her then the rest of the Masamune as they nodded encouragingly.

"The draw strength is more than you'll be used to. I exceeded even the power of a compound bow. You'll have to braid your own strings with titanium thread, anything stronger the better. You'll be surprised at the power." Masamune thumbed his chin with a wicked smirk. "She's a mean beast, but so is her master and his... _dragons_."

 _'I hope you're both happy.'_ Hanzo thought. _'Some fearsome Gods you are.'_  

 _ **'The fiercest.'** _Ramen thought back proudly. 

 _ **'Everyone should fear us.'**_ Udon tumbled arrogantly. 

Hanzi rose to his feet and ignored his embarrassment. The burn on his arm and the deep unsettled feeling it gave him was nothing in the face of this bow as well. Hanzo turned on his heel and walked out onto the covered but still outdoor archery and gun range. He walked without his heel covers but this was still an area cleaned for bare feet. He saw there were targets set up across a staggered wall. They were lined up in odd ways, mostly to test anyone using a projectile.

Megumi appeared with a quiver of newly made arrows. Hanzo looked at her questioningly. "There's a flow to the bow that won't ruin your arrows. I want to show you my designs later so you can tell me if that scatter arrow were working on is any good. But these are just normal arrows."

Hanzo shouldered the quiver and lowered the bow to grip properly. She fit his hand perfectly. There was even a speed nock on the bow for fast shooting. Hanzo tested the string and his eyes widened at the amount of effort he had to do to make the bow bend. He looked at the door where Masamune stood looking stern and expectant. 

Hanzo reached behind him and felt no pain from his arm at all as the took three arrows from the quiver with his fingers. He adjusted his stance and lowered his weight to straighten his back. He inhaled and nocked an arrow. With effort that still felt fluid he drew the string back and held tight by three fingers. He sighted a target and lifted the bow to the correct placement. His knuckles brushed his mouth and it felt so _right_. 

Hanzo blew out a breath and shot the arrow. She was nearly silent as she released the arrow through the window the whistle of passage faint. The power of the shot pierced the target with so much force the wall cracked from the impact. Hanzo stared at the point at which the arrow was buried to. He shot a look at Masamune who just smiled baring his teeth in pride. 

Hanzo took another shot and then another. Smoothly taking each target out with a force that knocked his precision down a few levels. Unacceptable, he never settled for second best. Hanzo kept shooting before he did something he wasn't prepared for. He palmed three arrows and drew them all back with targets for each. He angled the bow to lay horizontal to his body and aimed once more. All three shot out and landed perfectly. Better.

Hanzo made to stop but Udon and Ramen objected furiously. He reached back and there was only one arrow left. Bad form to give up an arrow, it was best to keep it incase he needed the added protection. But Hanzo pulled it free and drew the arrow back so that they could feel the strain. His hand shook from holding the force. Hanzo looked forward and his dragons raced across his tattoo making it glow as they coiled down to wreath the arrow rest.

 _ **"Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau!"**_ Hanzo summoned his dragons and loosed his arrow. It sang like the wind as it landed in the center of the targets. But his dragons had their path, and they coiled through the air after it. Majestic, powerful, whole.

They roared their triumph as they breezed through the wall leaving only the targets smoldering in their wake. They faded into light particles and Hanzo let the string go and held his hand to the tattoo as they practically started to cry in his mind in happiness. He lowered the bow a fraction as tears filled his eyes at how elated they were, how at peace they felt. 

Hanzo bowed at the waist to Masamune and held tight to the bow. Nothing he could say or do would ever match the gratitude he felt in his soul for this weapon. "I thank you for this last gift, it is more than I ever deserved. Even when I had my honor."

"Use her well, she goes for any occasion. As you yakuza men like to match your weapons to your clothing. Megumi is now the one to service your weapons if you need it." Masamune said knowingly. Hanzo wouldn't need it, he took great care to learn every part of his weapons. Storm Bow would be no different. "Don't die now Hanzo."

"I will only find death in battle." Hanzo vowed.

"Even then, the world is a bleak place without the Dragons to watch over us." Masamune sighed. "Never come back here Hanzo."

"I will not trouble you again." Hanzo promised. He had risked their family enough by asking this favor.

"Make them pay for it." Masamune said lowly and left him standing there. Hanzo nodded as he touched his clenched hand. He _was_ going to make them pay for ordering Genji's death. For making him do it himself. His duty to the clan, he'd put so much faith in his duty. It was nothing but a burden in the end, but it had been his all the same.

Genji had been worth more than his duty. And he had never been the burden. 

 

* * *

 

"Is it okay that they don't see us off?" Megumi asked worriedly as she followed Hanzo back to the long stairway that went the mountain. The afternoon air hung over them with the promise of snow. It was best they catch the bys that would take them back to a town begot the next snow storm. 

"Had I not taken the brand, they would have." Hanzo said plainly as he adjusted the new guitar case that held Storm bow and the four other body shells that came with her. In his other hand was his gear bag with the spare bows. "This way they can claim they didn't see me if the authorities or the yakuza come. In the criminal underground I am now public enemy number one."

"S'ok, didn't need them anyways." Rin piped up from behind Hanzo. "You gonna be alright with that though? That brand will out you."

"Only if I show it." Hanzo chuckled. "The brand generally discourages grunts from using any clout they might have gained in a gang. This brand was Masamune-Dono's way of cutting ties with me, reflecting the ties I've already cut with the clan. He's just taken the liberty of removing any thoughts I might have about regaining my position."

"Would you have?" Rin asked suddenly and Hanzo stopped to meet the serious old eyes. This was a man who fought to protect Japan from murderous Omnics. He'd been abandoned on the front lines and was saved only because a single yakuza Kumicho invaded the battlefield with supplies and a raging red dragon. Hanzo, in contrast, was an immense disappointment compared to glory of his father. Compared to even Genji, his brother would have rushed that battlefield the same way.

"I want to say no, that I've lost any honor I gained through my life. Had Genji lived, had we never fought... I would still be Kumicho. Or I would be dead." Hanzo smirked even while bitterness rose in his chest. "I'm the perfect recipe of a personality that's made for criminal life. If I didn't have the brand I might have told myself without the elders I could regain control of the Shimada. Now that I have the brand, I can never forget that I want nothing to do with them. It's a gift more than a stigma."

Hanzo waited for Rin to react, to judge him based on the weakness of his soul. Instead, Rin just nodded and continued on his way. "Japan will always be my master. I earned my right to die old and drunk with my brothers in arms. But you, you really made yourself a Ronin, a real life one."

"I suppose I did." Hanzo nodded and turned to keep walking. The path of a masterless warrior. That was certainly his life in a nutshell now.


	15. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo settles some affairs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to complain that I don't have scatter arrows. I mean I'm great at the rapid shot, but I like the scatter. Now I can only use it in the workshop. Hanzo is even losing one of the fast arrows in the update.
> 
> You killin' me Blizzard, you killin' me.
> 
> Chapter warning: Ptsd flashback.

In the months that followed his visit to the Masamune Forge, Hanzo threw himself into training. Learning every part of his bow inside and out. How to take it apart, how to put it together, how to fold it for easy storage and quick release for use. Hanzo interchanged the body by removing the outer shell to see the inner layers. He could customize the colors for blending in amongst nearly everything. He braided strings from metal woven for flexibility and strength. Storm Bow became more familiar than even Storm Blade had been.

Hanzo preferred it this way.

He delved into planning and training every other second of the day. He ended up with the very pushy help of Kano and Mujin. How he felt physically, if he needed a break, company, help. They suffocated him with their regard, but he didn't have the heart to tell them to leave him alone.

Managing the muscles of his legs was a difficult task. They cramped if he did too much. Before losing them he'd been able to run miles before he got tired. Now he was lucky if he could do a single mile before cramps got to him. Building his endurance was key. The phantom pains were in a league of their own. 

Everything became an exercise in toning his muscles and bulking up a bit more in the shoulders, arms, and back. Storm Bow required a lot of power to draw, and while Hanzo could manage, he still tired using her. He strives to do better and use the bow as fluidly as he had his katana. For nearly a month he passed out with alcohol numbing the physical aches in his bones. It muted the phantom pains and the nightmares. But he succeeded, Storm Bow was an extension of himself now.

He was getting increasingly annoyed that every bottle of alcohol he bought ended up halved before he got to it. His apparent friends were controlling his intake. While he was flattered he was still irritated. Taro however ended up being the ferry who brought him contraband. It required dealing with the man, but Hanzo could stomach that long enough to get his drinks. Their well meaning help was appreciated, but it was grating all the same.

Hanzo woke from a drunken night sprawled in his futon. He looked around and made note of the open guitar case next to his left arm, and an empty bottle of sake on his right. Hanzo sat up and scrubbed a hand through his lengthened hair as it spilled over his jaw. He touched the length in thought and decided to put it up for the day. 

Hanzo rolled to grab his legs and went through his morning thigh massage before he put them on. Then he forced his body through a number of yoga poses to cope with the rest of his aches and pains. Warmed up enough to function he set about showering the sweat and spilled sake from his skin. He took his legs back off to clean up and showered swiftly.

Hanzo sat before the mirror low on the ground and edged up his beard back to precise perfection. He'd been keeping it maintained all this time, but now it looked sharp and right. His hair was finally long enough to put up properly. So Hanzo took the gold silk from the pile of clothing and pulled the strands up into a small poof on the back of his head. Still to short for a topknot, but enough to maintain a tail. That one stubborn strand if his bangs fell loose and Hanzo just sighed in amusement. He left it to hang. 

Finished air drying Hanzo put his legs back on and dressed for the day. Sweats and a tank top, he lifted Storm Bow and a full quiver to sling over his shoulders. He left his room in the spare house on the Kibutsuji property. Taro and Kirai had moved into the town to watch over the Kurosawa family, and to her Kirai work at the clinic. He'd taken over their guest house immediately after. 

The main room was empty of anything but the large kotatsu and TV against the wall. The small kitchen was clean and bare through a doorway. Hanzo took a granola bar and the water bottle to refuel. Hanzo ate swiftly and left the house after clipping the soles onto his prosthetic feet. Hanzo basked in the morning light around him, the grounds were still hazy with fog.

Hanzo set off at a run, letting the weight of his bow shift on his shoulder. He exhilarated as he raced through the spring air. Blood pumping he travelled deep into the uninhabited parts of the island. He found the trail he'd marked that was set up to test his awareness and shooting ability. It was nothing compared to real world experience, but he didn't want to reveal himself to any of the assassins still hunting for him. Not yet.

Hanzo took Storm Bow from his shoulder and flexed his fingers over the grip. With a single inhale he raced through the course. He scanned around himself with sharp eyes and shot arrows with pinpoint precision. He jumped over logs, rolled around boulders. He climbed one tree to flip backwards and shoot a target painted on the underside of a branch hidden by growing leaves. Landing he lunged forward and continued his path. No target was left untouched. A fifteen minute run ended at a makeshift range on a large overlook that showed him the ocean below the large cliff face. It looked out to the direction Busan, South Korea lay.

Hanzo had two arrows left. So he aimed the first carefully. The target was a small red point between two large boulders. A needle thread kind of shot that he'd had trouble with the entire time he'd been training. The first arrow made the mark. A thrill sang through Hanzo, so he aimed one last time and breathed in tightly. He held his stance before he loosed his last arrow. It split the set arrow right down the middle.

Udon and Ramen roared with triumph in his mind as he exhaled in a pleased whoosh. He jogged over and saw the arrow was split in two and both shots were perfect. Hanzo nearly smiled in satisfaction. But this wasn't a time for that, this was a time for preparedness. He was ready now.

Hanzo turned as he inspected his intact arrow and slid the broken arrowhead to his quiver's storage pocket. When he turned he came face to face with Rin. The older man stood where Hanzo had shot from. All of Hanzo's arrows were gathered and resting in a pile at his feet. He wore his battle armor, with a deep green kimono hanging loose about his frame. He held a single katana in his hand while the other, his own weapon hung at his waist.

"How were they?" Hanzo asked as he glanced to his retrieved arrows. The older man had been away on some type of mercenary mission for the past two weeks. He must have just returned from it. 

"Perfect, they were perfect after a week of you practicing with that bow. And some of those shots are damn impossible. How do you shoot the one in the creek between the log and the rocks?" Rin asked and lifted a brow. He'd tightened his top knot, looking much more put together than he normally did. What was he up to?

"I jump to a branch on one of the trees, it is shot at an angle as I leap from one branch to the other." Hanzo looked at the glowing heels on the backs of his soles. "Megumi upgraded the legs to make my jumps clear larger distances. Much closer to what I used to be able to do."

"Fucking Ninja." Rin chuckled and pulled a sprig of plant from his mouth. "You're leaving then."

"There is much I have to do." Hanzo looked away. This family had been more than courteous to him. They had put up with much in regards to him. His anger, his depression, his self destruction. They had healed him, mostly. But there was still a darkness inside him. A poison that burned for the lives of those who had ruined his by making him murder his brother. Who had seen fit to snuff out Genji's fire. The only fire that might have set his ablaze. They had not counted on Genji succeeding even in death. 

Rin had been the pillar that had held Hanzo together long enough to find his footing. The man was so much a mirror of Genji and his father. It comforted him enough to encourage the right healing in Hanzo. He didn't want to be coddled, so Rin didn't coddle him. He didn't want his sins to be absolved, Rin didn't care one way or the other. It all helped.

"I must thank you Rin, you have been impossibly kind to me." Hanzo ducked his head and the silk sash brushes the back of his neck. "I don't think I would have come to clarity as quickly had you not seen fit to help me get there."

"I didn't do it without motive." Rin said with a sigh. "At the risk of ruining everything, I want to see it."

"See _it_?" Hanzo frowned in confusion. He looked down at the katana in Rin's hand and a shock of fear burned in him. No, he didn't want Hanzo to-... 

"I know you swore not to use one again. But I want to see it." Rin held the blade out, "You'll prove to me you can fight even without the bow, if your life is _really_ in danger. If you can't stomach the fight to survive, you don't need to leave."

"I must leave." Hanzo growled warningly. "I have to."

"That's fine, I don't care if you're leaving to kill a bunch of people. Shit, _I_ leave to kill people." Rin shrugged but his eyes never left Hanzo's. "But according to Masamune, you used to be the best damn swordsman he'd ever seen. So good you killed your own brother who was reported to be as good or possibly better."

Hanzos shoulders tightened. He didn't like that him killing Genji had proven him the better swordsman. He didn't want to touch the blade, Ramen and Udon shied back in agreement. Hanzo gripped the comforting angled grip of Storm Bow in rebellion. His heart raced and he closed his eyes. Flashes of Storm Blade cutting through Genji's arm, slicing it off, burned behind his eyes. The blood was on his skin again, burning like acid. He could hear Genji's scream in his ears, a death rattle as he denied his fate. 

"I know you fear it." Rin's voice cut through the visions. Hanzo would have been thankful, if it hadn't been Rin's fault in the first place. "But I need to know you can defend yourself if shit comes to it. To know you'll pick up a sword if nothing else is available. That your _fear_ isn't greater than your _will_."

"Why is this important?!" Hanzo hissed angrily, the flashback had unsettled him. Anger was a better emotion to hang onto, it felt safer.

"Because I want you to return here. Sojiro did right by me and my men at the Omnium. This criminal shit came rushing out to help when Japan fucked off. I swore I'd do right by him." Rin growled at him. "Then I hear he died, his wife went with him. Then his kids are reported dead. Only that's not the whole story. Mujin had been doing surveillance a long time, tells me the older kid killed the younger one. Blasted him right out of the castle by dragons. Even worse, it wasn't a duel you wanted. You were forced into it, made into a sword to be pointed at enemies not your own. Just like me."

"You were not Kumicho." Hanzo snapped. He's had his theories about the Samurai being chosen from prisons to fight for their freedom. It changed them, gave them honor that their country hadn't been known for since ancient times. Rin felt like a yakuza gangster, but it had never been confirmed. It didn't matter, he transcended that role when he became a Samurai. "Everything I did was my duty, _my_ burden to carry. That I couldn't stomach it, that it was _wrong_ should never have altered my mind _after_. It should have been _before_. I must live that shame, that dishonor forever."

"Yeah, yeah you will." Rin's arm didn't shake as he continued to hold out the sword. "So prove to me you're not going to make the choice between grabbing a sword to save your life, and dying to somehow make that shit _right_."

Hanzo growled, how dare he demand Hanzo touch a sword to live. He was a Samurai, he lived bushido, Hanzo had failed in his own tenets. His only out was dying in battle. "I deserve death, Genji will not rest in peace until we who did it are all dead with him."

"Tough shit!" Rin snapped. "You said the dragons won't let you kill yourself. Going into a fight half armed is as good as suicide. You'll fight me, or I'll cut those damn legs right in half."

Hanzo caught the sword as it was flung through the air. His skin crawled as he closed his fingers over the katana. Ramen and Udon chanted reassurances in his mind. But they were just as unsettled as he was. Rin was not going to let him leave without proving himself. "I will not summon my dragons."

"That's fine, I want to test your measure." Rin said and drew his katana. Hanzo shrugged his quiver off and rested it on the ground. Storm Bow followed much more gently. The moment her comforting weight was replaced by the chilling weight of the sword Hanzo shivered. "You'd better show me what you've got."

 _ **'It's okay, he doesn't want a real duel. Just a spar.'**_ Ramen warbled.

 _ **'I won't let you hurt him. Just fight.'**_ Udon assured and Hanzo screwed his face up in anger.

Hanzo turned and lowered his stance, he smoothly shifted the sword to his hip. For a moment, he felt Genji's weight against his back. There were times they had used both blades in a dance of the North and South Wind. Ramen and Udon had framed Soba as they raged. Their enemies were cut down in a wide arc around them. Any trapped inside the ring fell to his blades and Genji's. Genji's speed matched evenly with Hanzo's raw power. They had been powerful alone, but invincible together. 

Hanzo shook the memory away and drew swiftly. He blocked the first strike that was aimed for his shoulder. Hanzo looked up and reminded himself Rin would accept nothing less than his best with a sword. Hanzo swallowed everything and parried swiftly. His other hand shot forward and buried the scabbard into Rin's stomach. The older man grunted under the force of Hanzo's punch.

They danced apart and Hanzo lifted the scabbard to cross before his abdomen. Pointing behind him, elbow pointed down but towards Rin. He lifted the katana into the air blade edge pointed upward. He stretched his foot forward, and met Rin's eyes. The old man grinned and sheathed his blade. Hanzo noticed the Iado stance, speed was Rin's strength. Unfortunately for Rin, that had been Genji's 's preferred style. Hanzo knew it as well as his own.

As Rin lunged for him, fast and sure, Hanzo reacted. He swung his blade back and lifted the scabbard to block. When he caught the blade thrust, stopping the slash, he brought his katana in and caught Rin at the neck. Wide eyes landed on him and Hanzo looked down at him. "You should carry a tanto with you. My brother would have buried it in my stomach in the same motion as I stopped you."

"Really?" Rin gaped his free hand hovered glaringly. Genji had always had a blade in his free hand. There was never weakness in his brother. 

"Yes, Genji was swift like the wind. Faster than you could see. Just as you think you have the upper hand, he's already killed you." Hanzo said and his face tightened with grief. "Did this satisfy you?"

"Oh, uh, yeah..." Rin straightened and Hanzo pulled away. Hanzo was glad immediately immobilizing Rin was an adequate display of the skill he would never use. He sheathed the katana and thrust it into Rin's hands forcefully. He had no more turned around than he vomited all over the grass. "Sorry...for making you do that."

Hanzo wanted to wave a hand, to forgive the man who had idolized his father. Instead he vomited again and let the dragons soothe his mind. Not broken, he was just shaken a bit. It could have been worse, he could have drawn blood. Rin was fine, no blood in his green hair...

No...

Hanzo shot a fast look at Rin and sighed in relief. Salt and pepper hair. Not green, not Genji. Hanzo stumbled to Storm Bow and let the comfort of her weight banish the ice cold of his hand. He was alright, no one was dead by his hands here on this cliff top glade. 

"When do you leave?" Rin asked carefully.

"In the morning." Hanzo rasped. "Keigo-San opens his store tomorrow. Tonight he is going to stock the shelves."

"And you're going to help?" Rin asked.

"Taro is going to help." Hanzo replied, it was like he had not just shown Rin a killing technique that had yet to fail him. Even against Genji. "So I'm training him to take my job."

"Does _he_ know this?" Rin smirked.

"Probably not." Hanzo settled, and his heart slowed back to normal. He walked past Rin and gathered his arrows to inspect. Each one that was undamaged went into the quiver, the ones that needed sharpening, or new fetching, he tucked into the seperate compartment in the quiver. The arrowheads were placed in the little pocket on the side.

Without another word Hanzo started back towards the forest where his painted targets were. He traveled silently, ignoring Rin in punishment. But it wouldn't last, ignoring Rin was about as useful as it had been when he'd ignored Genji. As he returned to the property with the houses he found Kano and Mujin cleaning up what looked like splinters of a wall.

"Oi! What happened here?!" Rin shouted.

"They work!" Megumi's had popped out of one of the windows of her workshop. "I tested my bombs! They work!" 

"What?" Hanzo frowned at her. She'd been locked up for the past three weeks working. She'd claimed inspiration had taken her.

Megumi disappeared and raced back out dragging a large trunk behind her. She beamed at them while Mujin just looked harried. Hanzo decided to take the role of testing her gear before she gave her father an aneurysm. She popped the case open and he was looking at two different types of arrows, and larger versions of what looked like the projectile bombs he'd seen Sakai using.

"May I present to you, the first of the line of Megu-weaponry." She crossed her arms proudly.

"You finished them?" Hanzo reached out to the projectile bomb he'd seen flawed versions of. Instead of anything breaking apart like they had before, it held together. This one was the size of a can, and it was heavy like a grenade was. All along the outside lay lengthwise segments that ringed the outside. Hanzo turned it around and found the activation button. Feeling startled by pushing it he lopped it towards the forest. Upon landing it split apart and each segment streaked out in rebounding points that shredded the trees around them. Hanzo gaped in awe.

"That is the Scatter Bomb. It'll tear apart vehicles, Bastion units, even those huge Omnics, provided someone can get it inside." Megumi grinned. "These are being sold by patent to the Japanese Defense Force."

Hanzo looked down at the layers of arrows that sat in front of the six scatter bombs. They had four segments angled like an arrow point. He'd seen the designs, but looking at them, he nearly salivated for them. In a smooth movement, he'd drawn his bow, pivoted at his heel and snatched an arrow. As he drew it back he twisted his fingers on the shaft and the segments activated, hovering a centimeter from the arrow's magnetic point. He shot towards a clear space of trees. It didn't tear into the trees like the bomb had as there were more segments. But these four segments did their damage the moment it hit the ground.

Hanzo's eyes widened and mathematical equations exploded in his mind, geometrical angles were seen clearer than if he were writing on paper. They burst out at angles, and rebounded with the force of his shot. Hanzo looked at Megumi who just looked proud. "This is perfection."

"I'm glad you think so." She nodded. "This is a miniaturized, private design patented for test use. It's not for sale."

"Why not?" Hanzo frowned.

"Becsuse this version is only for you." She smiled warmly and Hanzo flushed awkwardly. "Besides, who still uses a bow and arrow these days?"

"You have my thanks." Hanzo bowed.

"Great, now try this one out." She waves to the next set. Hanzo picked up another grenade shaped item. It was smooth, like a capsule more than a bomb. 

"What is it?" He asked curiously.

"I call it a Sonic Bomb. No flash, and no explosion. It works like sonar and EMP fusion. Only it signals to _you_ infrared signatures." She grinned. Then she held out a contract case. "It reacts to these. They're like regular contact lenses, but they pick up infrared signals once they've been tagged. Bulk buy, one use.The lenses are bulk for the military, you can get them from me whenever you need them."

Hanzo took the case and swiftly put them in. He blocked a few times to get them to lay right but he noticed nothing different in his vision. He looked back at the bomb and twisted it before he dropped it to the ground. Immediately it pulsed in a wide dome that he could see. Rin, Kano, Megumi, and Mujin bloomed red before his vision. Strangely though, _he_ didn't react to the pulse. His body remaining it's same shade of color.

"The contacts counteract the signal, anyone not wearing it is easily identifiable. Good for infiltration missions. No friendly fire that way." Megumi beamed. "There's an arrow version as well, the Sonic Arrow, but it doesn't last as long as the bomb does."

Hanzo picked the arrow up, and looked it over as the infra red faded. Hanzo hummed and turned it the same as he did the scatter. He shot it into the ground with less force than he used on the scatter. The dome was smaller, but it was still a rather large span of coverage. Hanzo looked at everyone again and backed up around a wall. He was shocked that he could still see them from through the corner of the house. Walls were nothing to this device.

"You're a genius Megumi." Hanzo breathed. "Be careful you don't get kidnapped again."

"Don't act like you won't come get me." She smirked. "I sent you the blueprints for each arrow and a detailed description on how to build them. I'm sure it won't be easy to send these to Hanamura."

"How did you know?" Hanzo asked as he looked at her.

"Rin texted me." She smiled as the infra red faded. Hanzo looked at Mujin and Kano, who just met his gaze knowingly.

"Thank you for taking me in all these months. You've done more for me than you should have." Hanzo bowed to them both. "I plan to leave in the morning, I may not be able to come back, there will be assassins after me."

"If...if it gets to be too much please come back." Mujin said and shifted the ball cap on his head. "I like to think we've all become friends. Friends hero each other."

Hanzo balked at that notion. He had not had a real friend since Taro. And Taro had been a lesson in not letting anyone too close to him. They were only put at risk. But what else could they be, but his friends? Thrown together due to adversity, like his father told stories about. That scared him, if he left to hunt his enemies, they would be undefended.

"They'll be alright Hanzo." Rin huffed at him and slapped his shoulder. "They live here now, not in Tokyo. No one gets on this island without one of us knowing."

"There are only four of you left." Hanzo cut a dark look at Rin and they glared at one another. "You tested me today, to know what I was willing to do to survive away from you. Maybe I should test _you_ as well."

"I've been killing threats longer than you've had hair on your cock boy." Rin snarled like an old man putting an upstart in his place. "If a single one of my Samurai can't get the job done then we never deserved the titles in the first place."

"Hanzo-San, we will be safe here." Mujin cut in before he and Rin could argue properly. "And if we aren't, we will contact you. You will know where we run to, or if we need you to fight with us."

Hanzo sighed and touched his tattooed arm. He needed his dragon's guidence for this. Udon trusted their words, and Ramen was worried for them. Hanzo sighed deeply and looked at the small family that had carried him through the worst of his denial and anger. They had healed his body, and gave him reasons to not succumb to his despair.

"This is the part of your life we are not to tread on. Go and do what you have to." Kano said and placed his metal hand on Mujin's shoulder. "Just take care of yourself. You did much in getting Megumi back to us. You're family now."

"You will always have a place with us, but do not let us tether you here." Mujin grasped his husband's hand. "I know you're grieving. So allow me to suggest, perhaps you should create a memorial grave for your brother. Somewhere to pay your respects."

"I murdered my brother, I have no right to give him a memorial." Hanzo shook his head as his heart sparked with pain. "The family tomb has no real ashes for him. Going there would be meaningless."

"You think you have no right to it. But it does not mean you should not honor him." Mujin said sadly. "None of us can go to the Samurai memorial, they will arrest us for desertion. But we honor them here with incense. Find your own way to honor your brother. Not the way you were at the time you fought, but as you were when you were just brothers."

Hanzo felt struck, but he couldn't argue. Mujin always knew just how to cut to heart of any issue. The silk holding his hair up felt heavy upon his back. Hanzo sighed and nodded, "I will think on what you've said."

With that said Megumi rushed him and hugged him. Hanzo's arms hovered over her, awkward and unsure before he succumbed. He hugged her back and when he pulled away Udon and Ramen detached from him on her shoulders. She squeaked when she felt them were nosing her hair and nibbling her ears.

"Oh my god! _Oh my god!_ " She squealed. Mujin gaped at them and Kano took a step back in shock, Rin just huffed jealously.

"No fair, share the Dragons!" He reached for Ramen who just snapped at his fingers with a hiss that didn't match his small size. "Shit!"

"They're still angry with you." Hanzo informed the Samurai. He felt smug at their irritation with Rin. 

"I've never seen them so small." Mujin gaped. Megumi stepped to her father and sat on his lap. Udon and Ramen upended his hat and swept over his short dark hair. Then Ramen crawled right up onto Kano making the omnic exceedingly uncomfortable.

"They've decided you belong to them." Hanzo said fondly. "Udon, Ramen, come back."

They evaporated on the spot and Mujin shook his head before he just reached for his hat and put it back on.  Megumi smiled and got back up. "Alright, let's pack you some arrows for the trip!"

Like that Megumi had taken charge of any awkwardness. Hanzo just followed along in her wake as he packed a number of arrow heads to take with him. He filled his quiver, and the entire space of his gear bags with the attachments for each new arrow. He would kit them out so he could tell by feel alone which they were. But he was pleased with her work. He would have to send her a gift once he'd left.

 

* * *

 

"Hanzo, come on, why are we going to the store?" Taro whined as Hanzo led the way into the back of the Kuro Convenience Store. Keito shot his head out of the back room at the sound of the fire opening. He smiled and waved excitedly. 

"Because you're going to be working here from now on." Hanzo said simply. 

"The hell I am!" Taro snarled.

"That you Hanzo?!" Keigo called from the front of the store.

"Yes sir!" Hanzo called back.

"Good, need you to set up the inventory, put your grunt to work." Keigo ordered. Female giggles spilled from the back room and office. Hanzo nodded his greeting to Minami and Machiko who were setting up the safe and security cameras. Michiko and Keigo shuffled from the break room to see Hanzo wave at the apron rack.

"Get sorted, you're the stock boy now." Hanzo smirked at Keigo and the boy grinned at Taro. "You better behave."

"Hope you're ready, Hanzo-San runs a tight ship." Keigo nodded. "But I'm sure you already know that."

"Fuckin-, I'm an assassin Hanzo." Taro hissed at the teasing. 

"Ex-assassin." Hanzo corrected. "Kirai told you no more, best listen to your wife now."

"If I remember correctly you used to like my skills for killing." Taro glared. Hanzo rolled his eyes, that was when they were young and high on the adrenaline of successful jobs. 

"And if _I_ remember correctly, you used to call me Senpai. So follow your Senpai and put on the apron." Hanzo tied his in place. "Or I'll feed it to you."

Taro stiffened and a flush covered his cheeks. While Hanzo was in no way ready for any kind of sexual interaction, much less with Taro, it was nice to know he could still get that look from a man. It helped the sting of feeling as violated as he did. 

Taro snatched an apron and tugged it on. He looked silly with his rolled up sleeves and dark washed jeans. The apron was a hot pink color, ruining his serious but stylish look. Taros resting bitch face made him look very much the ex-gangster he was. Hanzo stifled his snort and took the inventory sheet from its place on the back of the door. The same as the old store.

"Why'd you get me a civilian job?" Taro asked as he settled down.

"Because you were just staying in your house while Kirai worked." Hanzo snorted. "You need to keep your hands busy or you'll take off. This is honest, calm work. It was here when I needed it. It's here and you need it."

"So two ex-yakuza, the boss and an assassin, work at a convenience store. Sounds like a drama to me." Taro pinched the bridge of his nose as Hanzo waved him into the cooler. He laughed as they entered the cold room, his whole life sounded like a drama. They started to stock the beverages into the racks. Hanzo had put them all together days ago to let the cooler get to temperature.

"Just one ex-yakuza. I'm leaving in the morning." Hanzo informed. A plastic bottle of water fell to the ground and Hanzo turned with an eyebrow arched. Taro stared at him in shock.

"You're fucking with me." Taro chuckled darkly. He walked over and grabbed Hanzo by the shirt collar. Hauling him a step forward. "Because I didn't just hear you say you saddled me with a civvy job while you fuck off without me."

"I did." Hanzo plucked Taro's hand off of him with a nerve pinch to the wrist. Taro snarled at him in anger. "We are not partners Taro. I am going to kill the elders, I need to do this alone."

"Alone?!" Taro snapped. "Alone got you cut off at the knees!"

"Perhaps." Hanzo shrugged, he was in better condom of himself than he'd been then. "A mistake that will not happen again."

"How the fuck do you know that?!"  Taro demanded and started to pace. "They'll kill you!"

"Maybe, better me than anyone who accompanies me." Hanzo admitted as he looked aside. 

"I can help you Hanzo." Taro said and there was the emotion that had drawn Hanzo to him in the first place. A phantom pain that reminded him that Taro had been his first love once. As young and immature as he'd been. That fondness was all that was left of the passion that drove them then. Too much time, to many things had happened since to ever rekindle this between them. "I want to help you."

"You help me...by keeping an eye on the Kurosawa's. They were the only known tie I had after leaving the clan. Should they be discovered they will be in danger." Hanzo could trust Taro's skills in this. Hanzo's fear for them was real, he couldn't stand anymore blood being spilt because of him. "I need you here."

"That's... _fuck you Hanzo_." Taro sighed and yelled in frustration before he angrily started stocking the shelves again. "Fucking stock boy... I _killed_ people, lots of people."

"Now you _protect_ people." Hanzo said and continued checking off his clipboard, "You'll find it's much more rewarding."

"The fuck it is Hanzo!" Taro hissed angrily. "I could be killing those assholes for everything they've done."

"Taro, you only feel this way because of what they did to me." Hanzo shook his head and stepped into his old friend's line of sight. "I'm doing it because of what they made me do to Genji."

"You'll never get it Hanzo. He was part of the clan, that meant his life was yours to take." Taro huffed as if Hanzo was just being thick. 

"I know, but that does not make it right." Hanzo acknowledged. "I have to set things right for his soul."

"And when it's done, you'll seek death." Taro wheeled on him in an instant. Hanzo didn't react to Taro boxing him in. The fear might have been there before he spent three months training back to peak condition, it was no where now. He knew he could kill Taro with nothing more than his hands if he had to. But he wouldn't have to.

"Maybe, if someone is better than I am." Hanzo said and looked up into Taro's angry eyes. "You got me out of there Taro. You do not have any reason to help or come with me. This is something I have to do alone."

"I-..." Taro sighed so Hanzo decided to shut the idiot up. He angled into Taro's sight and kissed him. Swift but full and sure. It felt like all the kisses they'd shared before. But it didn't spark the way Hanzo remembered it did once. He pulled away before it could go any further.

"I need you to stay here and protect everyone for me." Hanzo requested. "I'm kgoing to kill the elders and find my own path in life."

"Okay." Taro spoke softly, he looked down, all the fight drained out of him.

"Good, now do right by your wife, maybe have a few kids." Hanzo smirked and Taro flushed. He hoped that kiss had given Taro the closure he needed to live his life without wondering. Hanzo wouldn't wonder again about how life might have gone had he and Taro stayed together. He knew long before they met again anyways.

"I-If you need anything..." Taro started as Hanzo pushed him back so they could return to work.

"I won't, but if I do, I'll call you." Hanzo agreed. Taro fell silent as they filled the shelves, he listened intently as Hanzo explained his inventory method. Taro chuckled when he pointed out it was the same way the clan inventoried it's weapons and drug supply. Hanzo flushed and told him it was an official method he'd learned to use at university. That only seemed to make Taro laugh harder.

By the time the cooler was set up, they left the cooler to find everyone waiting in the empty store. Megumi was laughing with Keito and Michiko about something on their phones. Machiko and Minami were speaking quietly with Kano. Rin leaned over Mujin while they spoke amicably with Keigo. Hanzo's dragons brushed through his mind with contentment. A makeshift family that came together in the wake of Shimada's destruction. Hanzo didn't know how to feel about that.

 _ **'You saved all of them.'** _Ramen sighed happily.

 _'I did no such thing.'_ Hanzo disagreed, they had saved him though. Kept him from falling into depression.

 _ **'We will have to make sure the assassins never come here.'**_ Udon said with a protective flare to his emotions.

 _'We will.'_ Hanzo vowed to his dragons. _'They will stay safe.'_

Taro slapped him on the shoulder and sauntered to where Kirai was entering from the front door. He kissed his wife soundly and Hanzo was pleased he could close that door for his friend. They would all be safe together, far away from where he was going.


	16. Groundwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo returns to Hanamura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still fighting to get that summer games Hanzo skin. I've gotten a bunch for other characters, but still no Hanzo. Like really Blizzard...really?! Characters I don't even play?! Lol
> 
> I ended up writing half this chapter, then I took it out for the next one lol.

Sneaking back into Hanamura was only too easy, disgustingly so. Hanzo checked into one of the hotels run outside of clan influence. He settled in for a few days to see if anyone had noticed him. They hadn't. So that put Hanzo into place to begin working.

He walked the streets with a medical mask on, a pair of sunglasses, and a knit hait. He blended in seamlessly, with no one the wiser to his identity. He walked the city of his birth and took in the state of the clans holdings. If he had been in a position of leadership he would have been overwhelmed by the things in need of attention. Instead he was here to dismantle the rest of the Shimada-Gumi. So each discrepancy, was a minor blessing. 

Hanamura, at it's core, thrived despite the criminal family that had pretty much founded it. The police firce, while heavily linked to the Shimada-Gumi, acted independently. The point was to appear that they worked against the Shimada while maintaining partnerships. They arrested the clan members, and put them in prison. A prison that was _also_ run by Shimada bought officials. Wash, rinse, repeat. 

The same could be said for the acting government in Hanamura. All contacts were held and maintained by Shimada money. Revenue that both bodies of lawmakers turned a blind eye to. Profit that came from drugs, weapons, and hired murder. All laundered by Shimada businesses, paid to those who would help the clan. It was a cycle that had been maintained for decades. 

That was where Hanzo was going to start, the money and the contacts. So his first target needed to be the supply chains. Or at least, the new locations where the supplies were going. Which was where Hanzo found himself. He started his surveillance at an industrial factory site that stretched into Tokyo and gave access to the docks. Hanzo observed through a pair of binoculars the rotations of guards and made note of the sheer number of Shimada members. It was far less than he had commanded when he was in charge. 

Whoever had come from Overwatch's black ops team had cut a swath through the ranks. Three elders, most of their known businesses, and nearly a quarter of the full forces were gone. The government officials would be wary of helping the Shimada-Gumi rebuild. There was no heir to settle the unease. The Shimada's head bloodline had done much to entreat the older government officials to their side.

Hanzo observed a ship coming in and watched the unloading of marked crates. Far less than they used to have delivered along the illegal trading lines. The money must be drying up to garner such a small purchase. He would need to act soon, weapons would bolster funds back to the right amount eventually. Bribery was a tricky business, it always needed to be maintained.

Hanzo took down the rotation schedules and moved on from the warehouse. He needed to cut off the recipients of the funds. So if the Shimada _tried_ to rebuild, they would find no quarter in Hanamura.

As Hanzo climbed down from the rooftop perch he'd chosen for his vigil, he thought on that. How ironic was his life. By the time he was twelve he could blackmail anyone into giving him whatever he wanted. And now he was blackmailing the previously extorted officials of Hanamura. His father would roll in his grave if he knew Hanzo was using _Shimada_ methods, to take out the Shimada-Gumi.

Hanzo walked off into the crush of the midday markets and froze when he walked past a curio store he knew Genji had liked. They sold different tea sets and those vintage collectibles Genji collected. He walked in on a whim. Hanzo inhaled the cloying scents of incense. He walked among the racks and scanned the edges of the shelves. He had no intent to buy anything, but his eyes caught on the incense station and the various types that lay there.

Hanzo remembered keenly Mujin's words about honoring Genji. Hanzo swallowed over the lump in his throat. He selected a package of incense sticks and a small rack that would hold them. Then his fingers closed over a small stack of four sake cups as he passed. They were colored a dark maroon shade. Hanzo turned and continued looking around. He found a hair pin like the ones his mother wore. Hanzo left the store with his bag and went into the store down the block, returning with the sake Genji preferred, and the cigarettes his father smoked.

Hanzo felt unbalanced with how sentimental he had become. He retreated to his hotel room and tried to meditate through the feelings. He was going to visit his parents memorial stone, but to honor Genji...he was going to have to sneak into the Shimada Castle. Honoring him anywhere _but_ that dojo was unacceptable.

Hanzo had a few days before anniversary would be upon him. He had that time to gather his evidence and finish planning how he was going to attack. Hanzo breathed out as he opened his eyes and looked at his guitar case sitting open on the bed. He'd taken a regular gear bag out with Storm Bow tucked inside. Hanzo rose from his kneeling position and walked over to put his hands over the arsenal inside.

Vengence was a dangerous thing to hunt for. He needed to be careful not to fall back into the him who he'd been just a year prior. He never wanted to return to that version of himself. The kind of man that would kill his own brother for honor and duty. Forsaking both concepts in the same act.

Hanzo looked down at his array of arrowheads and steeled himself for the road ahead. No deaths yet. Not until he had paid his respects. Not until he had finished gathering his evidence. He would honor the dead, then he would do what was necessary. Hanzo had always been an assassin, that had never changed. He was just putting his skills towards the right use.

Hanzo straightened his back and drew out his black storm embossed kyudo-gi. There would be no point hiding himself. Who he was going to visit, they needed to know who it was dismantling the criminal empire his family had spent centuries building. The clan would die by his hand. 

 

* * *

 

Hanzo flipped through the log books inside the strip club the clan laundered most of its money through. All of the clan's illicit records were kept here. No copies, and all on paper. Hanzo had scoffed at that once, a teen who was learning the ropes and thought it would be more efficient if he could look at the logs at all times. He'd come to find the paper was better, untraceable if they had to burn it all up. The elder's paranoia now benefitted Hanzo acutely. Keeping contacts secret and no traceable link to them was important. 

"Are there any other copies?" Hanzo demanded. 

"No," Nagisa rubbed her arm awkwardly. "You know there isn't, the elders don't allow it."

So long as no one had access to the copies, no one would be implicated should anything be compromised. That had been the mindset. It made this much easier for Hanzo to lay the groundwork for his plans.

"Even now when there's a vacuum of power?" Hanzo lifted a brow, he needed to be sure. If he had been wresting the power he would have taken the records for safe keeping.

With his sharp look directed at her, she flinched. Minato Nagisa was a stripper who had turned owner when Hanzo was twenty three. She had been his father's favorite dancer/launderer, she'd earned her position by being loyal to him and not the elders. That loyalty had transferred to Hanzo and Genji. She hadn't immediately turned him away when he entered the club. Hanzo was going to repay her kindness by destroying her business. 

"The elders are infighting, you should be the one leading, you can stop _all_ of this." She shifted anxiously but Hanzo just finished tucking what he needed into his kyudo-gi. With that done he turned to her and met her terrified gaze.

"Burn all of the records, take what money you and your girls need. Then run far and fast from Hanamura." Hanzo told her seriously. "The Shimada-Gumi will be dead by the time I leave this city."

"W-What?" She gaped in horror. She must have thought he was returning to ursurp the elders. That was so far from the truth however. 

"All of the elders still alive will be dying by my hand." Hanzo answered her, he didn't want her caught in the crossfire. But the clan would die, and he would ensure it. "Get out now, while you can."

With that said Hanzo left the office in the basement of the strip club. He took the side door outside and scaled to the rooftops across the alleyway. With the bribery ledgers he had the leverage the clan was using against the police, and the politicians in Hanamura. Hanzo wondered just who he needed to turn this in to to keep the Shimada from a resurgence. As he debated he had a more brilliant idea to back up turning the records over.

 

* * *

 

With the night concealing him he felt at home for the first time in years. The only thing that would have made him feel more at home would have been if Genji was at his side. Hanzo had destroyed so much of his life trying to fit the image he'd had for years of who he had to be. Hanzo still didn't know just who he was supposed to be.

Hanzo's next stop was to a judge's home. The older man's name was one Hanzo knew well. He'd bribed the man numerous times. Tsumatori Ido was a hard line judge that convicted multiple yakuza members. But in reality he took bribes to put them in the prisons that would ferry them back to the streets once the crimes faded from the spotlight. 

Hanzo broke into Tsumatori's house. There was a shiba inu dog that shot up as Hanzo entered the front door. Hanzo sent a small electric taze from an arrow, he had created himself, into the security system. Hanzo drew his presence inside and held out a hand as he knelt. The dogs fur settled as it padded close, sniffing his fingers before deciding Hanzo was accepted. Depositing the dog back into his crate Hanzo even gave him a bone from the basket and done treats before he made for the upper level. 

First bedroom had a sleeping teen. Hanzo pulled the door shut and twisted the door knob to lock and jam the mechanism.  The master bedroom lay next to a guest room. Tsumatori's wife slept in the seperate room. Years ago both spouses had been caught cheating by the Shimada. Hanzo's father had used that but if scandal to bring the man on b oard. His cheating scandal had been implemented by the Shimada as well. Both partners had been yakuza after all. 

Hanzo repeated the same with the wife's door and entered Tsumatori's room. No guest this time, Hanzo had to remove the poor woman he'd terrified the last time he'd made this visit to get Tsumatori in line. This time Hanzo just reached into the bed and closed his hand over the older man's mouth. The shout was silenced and Tsumatori looked up in terror at Hanzo.

"Greetings Tsumatori-san." Hanzo rumbled his greeting. 

"Who-Who are you?!" Tsumatori hissed. 

"You know who I am." Hanzo glared death at the man. The judge trembled, before he got indignant.

"I did my job, if there's a problem it's on your end now!" Tsumatori hissed. 

"Ah and did you do your job?" Hanzo pressed. Something was going on, and he wanted in on it. 

"I got that bastard Sakai out of jail, after that whole mess in Osaka, I got him moved to the prison you all wanted. And- _And_ I fixed the import documents. Do you know how hard it is to keep cargo from Mexico and America from being sized?!" 

Ah, he'd taken care of the paperwork then. Which was pushing his authority, he presided over criminal cases. They had chosen him specifically because of his role in the criminal system. Ensuring the criminal process was as clean and comfortable as it could be for their men. He didn't taint his image, and they got what they'd wanted. Transferring criminals was a bit out of his general influence. 

"I'm not here for that." Hanzo said and looked down at the man. "I'm here to make a deal with you."

The man sputtered as Hanzo pulled free the small file they had on this man and his wife. "This is everything the Shimada-Gumi have against you. No copies, no digital proof outside of this."

The man stared in shock at him. "How-?! That's not possible!" 

"The Shimada-Gumi clan is going to fall." Hanzo said. "The only reason you are not going to go with them is because I need your clout, your _power_ to ensure they stay gone."

"How?!" The old man surged up in the bed to grab at Hanzo's hand. The abrupt motion startled Hanzo. He nearly brought Storm Bow up yo snack the man over the head. But his eyes didn't speak to violence, they screamed desperation. 

"All bribery and corruption logs are going to be delivered to the police station outside of the Shimada-Gumi's influence. The investigation will begin and you are to do your actual job for once. Put criminals in prison." Hanzo said, "Your logs are right here as well. Dispose of them."

Hanzo turned on his heel and stalked for the door. "W-Wait?!" Tsumatori called and Hanzo turned to look over his shoulder. "Why?!" 

"The lower members do not deserve to die for the crimes of those in higher positions." Hanzo said simply. This man would do right by the clans grunts, or Hanzo would be back for him. That finished Hanzo left the house. This was one avenue in place. He had one more location to go to before he called it for the night.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo spent a day watching the police branch that housed the organised crime division. These detectives were not part off the bribe racket. The commanding cofficer was the one honest man that needed to remain in office. Hanzo's father had decided that the moment then man took over the division. If the entire police force was bought and paid for, the civilians wouldn't have faith in them. Balance in all things.

Hanzo picked a door from the roof and broke in without setting off any alarms. He moved quickly down the halls, he avoided any lit doorways, keeping in the shadows to avoid the cameras. The chief of this branch was in his office speaking on the phone. Hanzo entered silently and as the chief looked up Hanzo crossed the distance confidently. He hung up the phone by pressing the disconnect button with his gloved fingers.

"Who the hell are-?!" Chief Kansai started in anger and then shock as he took in Hanzo's appearance. "You're supposed to be dead!" 

"Clearly that was a lie. I'm here to clean some things up." Hanzo spoke and pulled free the three ledgers he'd taken. "All of the police officers receiving bribes are listed here. The politicians, officials, and business owners as well."

Kansaki blinked at him and his gaze hardened. "That's not possible, we've never been able to link the Shimada-Gumi to anyone."

"I wrote them myself just a year ago. Account numbers, credit exchanges, prices to spend. It's all here, _everyone_ who the Shimada bribed to make business smooth. Paper to remain as untraceable as possible." Hanzo said and scooted the books across the desk. "You're the only department free of corruption. I happen to think you can do something about all of this." 

"Why would you do this? You were the Kumicho." Kansaki grabbed for the books and Hanzo backed up.

"I used to be." Hanzo left and vanished into the hallways. The chief raced after him. He must think it would be easy to catch someone dressed as Hanzo was, carrying a bow and arrows looking like he stepped out of history. But Hanzo had been escaping captors since he was a child. He'd done his job, now all he had to do was watch the fall out.

He would watch profit avenues close, and then he would remove any contraband that could bolster funds back up. Once he had eliminated even that, the elders would flee to regroup. That was when he would catch them. One by one the seven elders left would die.

 

* * *

 

Tsukasa Renji

Inoe Sakura

Shimada Kentaro

Hanajima Hinata

Tokomori Nagi

Fukushi Takeshi

Shimada Junpei

The last seven elders alive. All with enough contacts outside of Hanamura to create another yakuza family. But it would not have the power the Shimada-Gumi did. Some of them might have the name Shimada, but they were linked to Hanzo's mother and father only through marriage. Adopting the name had brought them in close, but not so close they got to share a child with Sojiro's bloodline. 

The last dragons were with Hanzo, and unless he chose to procreate with the mate the dragons chose for him, there would be no more. It was one price to pay for the tattoo, their bloodline was sacred. The dragons took over control of their procreation, and gained the gift of their regard. Their power and prestige had been worth it. Hanzo was thankful for Udon and Ramen, they had stopped his biology from giving the clan what they wanted from him.

Without the dragons the remains of the clan would need to branch out. The Shimada had been unique in their specialty. They began with assassinations, hired to get the job done. Weapons trafficking came after, war was profitable. And then drugs, to bring that ring of international connections to their hold. Every crime that happened in Hanamura was known and controlled by the Shimada-Gumi. They had alliances with many of the other yakuza families. And if they weren't allies, they certainly weren't enemies. Hanzo was going to change that. The Shimada would never be dealt with again. 

With the police that weren't bought now in possession of corruption evidence many things were going to be set in motion. Hanzo made a number of calls from the comm booth outside a secret bolt hole in Hanamura. A Shimada safe house underneath a dumpling restaurant. The police came and arrested around six Shimada members. They would be back out on the street the next day. But that was the point, he wanted Kansai to see it unfold with knowing eyes. He wanted the clean police angry, and ready to act.

Hanzo watched the weapons warehouse leading up to the anniversary of Genji's death. This location wasn't in the books. And while he had set in motion a concentrated sting on the lower operations, this one was going to be big. To truly disrupt this line of profit he needed to know where the weapons came from, and who they were going to. And even better, who was running the operation? 

It was the night before the anniversary, and Hanzo dressed comfortably. His hakama felt silky soft on his skin. The bracer he put on his drawing arm hugged the fabric tight to avoid and noise from the shifting threads. It would also provide a way to deflect a knife aimed at him. The glove wrapped around his thumb and first two fingers, to quiet his shots even more. Hanzo hooked a belt of pouches over his tied sash and filled them with other gear items he might need. Spare arrowheads, some biotic boosters, his phone for the camera. 

Hanzo selected his arrows carefully. He seperated his quiver into three parts. One part for the Sonic Arrows, another for the Scatter Arrows, and the last for his regular ammunition. Each set of fletching was different based on how each arrow needed to fly. He could feel by texture just which ones were which. The last item Hanzo took with him was the sash that he tied into his hair.

 The dock workers are long gone when he infiltrated, but the yakuza remained. Hanzo traced his path inwards, keeping to the shadows, climbing to avoid others. When he was finally inside he slunk to where the weapons crates were. A few were opened already and he looked inside one. There were new state of the art pulse rifles inside. They were newer than the standard ones that the Shimada trafficked in. But it wasn't the military grade hardware that got his attention. It was the collor of the filler that kept the guns from shifting in their crates. Scraps of paper in various colors, packed deep inside. Unusual. 

Hanzo frowned as he looked the crate back over and saw a neon skull emblazoned on one crate. Hanzo looked over the rest and saw a different skull stylized on another with chains hanging from the mouth, and wings around the head. So the Shimada had joined with the chain of weapons going from the Los Muertos to Deadlock. Deadlock had been rebuilding in the last years, it wasn't surprising that they found an ally with the Shimada.

Someone's voice caught Hanzo's attention and he pulled back from taking photos of the rifles. He peered from the shadows and Sakai swept into the warehouse doors. Hanzo narrowed his gaze as he saw elder Kentaro with him. This opportunity was too good to pass up.

"This isn't enough Sakai." Kentaro looked at the mass of crates with mild disgust. "You need to bring in more guns."

"No one is willing to deal with you right now. Fucking _Overwatch_ was just here. That little black ops group fucked your enterprise. No one wants to be linked in with that mess." Sakai lit a cigarette, he had the upper hand as a broker in this deal. He'd gotten out of jail for it. "It wouldn't be like that, if you had managed to get the location of that little genius girl out of Hanzo."

Kentaro whipped around on Sakai and Hanzo shot his gaze upwards. The upper ramparts were crawling with guards. It was too risky to act right now. But Hanzo had the opportunity. There were enough guards to make him wary, but not so many that he felt overwhelmed. While Hanzo preferred to plan more thoroughly, he was not one to miss a perfect chance. 

"We're working on it. Our contract in the government said there's a contract out for new weapons. It can only be coming from her." Kentaro let the slight in Sakai's tone slide. Hanzo snorted quietly, had he been in charge of this exchange, he would have slapped Sakai. Open handed like he was a grunt to me put in his place. It would shame him, and make the beating from the rest men sting all the more. Lack of respect was a punishable offense.

" _I_ found her Shimada, and I want a huge cut of the profits from her." Sakai pushed arrogantly. "You don't get to change the deal just because it got delayed."

Hanzo huffed and drew his arrow. He was going to take Kentaro now. Hanzo wanted the elder to know why he was going to be killed. So he was going to have to herd the old fool. Good thing he'd mapped out this entire warehouse. Hanzo tipped his bow up and narrowed his gaze on the sentry above with the large gun. Hanzo drew back and loosed the arrow. It sang silently through the air and pierced him through the neck. Clean kill. Only the large man fell backwards, his gun clattering loudly. Hanzo cursed and ducked to the side to avoid giving away his position. 

Hanzo skirted the edge of the warehouse as shouts filled the air.  He made it to the side door and locked it with a hard jerk of his arm. He drew another arrow and sighted for the main doors. The arrow fragged the electrical system on impact. The doors rattled and started to lower. Hanzo raced up the wall, hands catching every small divot in the metal walls. He pushed off at the height of the climb and caught the edge of the walkway. He pulled himself up in a crouch and shot three arrows below to keep Sakai and Kentaro from escaping. 

Hanzo twisted on his knee and shot the guard racing towards him. He dodged a hail of bullets and glimpsed a group racing behind a crate stack to avoid his return fire. Hanzo drew a Scatter Arrow and as he knocked it he activated the magnets. The arrowheads detached and ricocheted into the crates and guards. Hanzo shot it and smirked as it felled two of the three men hiding. The third raced for other cover and Hanzo caught him in the middle of the back with a normal arrow.

Hanzo looked around and pulled a Sonic to shoot at the bank of large shipping containers where his prey had raced to. The arrow activated and Hanzo stared at the blooms of red, four signatures left. So two guards and his two ringleaders. Hanzo took off rounding the walkway before he was looking down into the small break in the containers.

Hanzo didn't soften his landing as he dropped to the top of one of the containers. Hanzo had a scatter drawn and aimed even all eyes turned to him. "So we met again Sakai."

"Hanzo! You bastard!" Sakai raged. "How dare you show your face here!"

"I'm not here for you Sakai. But keep looking for the girl and we're going to find an easier way to never cross paths again." Hanzo spoke breezily before he shifted his sharp gaze to Kentaro. "Hello, uncle."

"So this is it?" Kentaro lifted a brow like he was bored. "Should have just taken off, theres a bounty on your head now. My assassins won't fall twice."

"I assume it's a worthwhile amount, it matters little though." Hanzo said with a dark glare. "Any you sent for me will not succeed."

"So you think." Kentaro yanked his hand up and there was a phone lot up with an active call. "He's in Hanamura right now!"

Hanzo shot the phone but it was already too late. The elders had been alerted to his presence. The scatter arrow split apart and every segment tore apart the remaining guards. Sakai fell to the ground unscathed in shock and desperation to avoid the pinging segments. Kentaro shouted as he was caught in his arm. Hanzo dropped to the ground and kicked Sakai right in a nerve point under the jaw that knocked him out.

"Kill me Hanzo, it changes nothing." Kentaro spat as he grabbed his bleeding arm.

"Of course it changes nothing." Hanzo knocked Kentaro feet out from under him. He slung his bow over his shoulder and slammed his foot into Kentaro's injury. The howl of pain was satisfying. It reminded him of Genji's shout when he lost his arm in the fight. "But one of Genji's murderers gets what was coming to him. That's worth it to me."

"Murderer? _You_ did that." Kentaro spat and Hanzo ground his unforgiving prosthetic foot into the bleeding arm.

"I did, and when you're all dead and gone, I'll find my own end. Genji will have his retribution." Hanzo snarled.

"Fuck you." Kentaro but out. 

"No, fuck you." Hanzo grabbed Kentaro by the shirt and jerked him forward. He was behind the older man in an instant. He knelt to solidify his position, one leg poised to move if he had to. His arm wrapped tight around Kentaro's neck. "I want you to die knowing you brought this upon yourself. Genji was family, the order to kill him should never have been given. We will _all_ pay the price for it."

Hanzo ignored Kentaro's gurgle of protest as he grabbed and clawed at Hanzo's arm. His legs kicked as he tried to buck free. Hanzo just placed his other hand behind Kentaro neck. With a vicious twist Kentaro's neck snapped. He watched the body fall and Hanzo wanted to be upset. This man had been his uncle. He'd taught Hanzo how to scowl like a yakuza should. To be short and abrupt when portraying a role. But all Hanzo could rememver was how quickly he had turned on Hanzo over Genji. Once of the first to agree that Genji needed to die.

Hanzo stood up with an angry stiffness to his shoulders. He was the one chosen to be a kin slayer. He was already stained with the blood of his brother. What was the blood of the rest of his family? It wouldnt taint his soul any worse than it already was.


	17. Returning Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo honors his family

The day of the anniversary was here and Hanzo woke from a fitful four hours of sleep after he'd returned from the warehouse. He sluggishly went through the motions of loosening up his body. It didn't matter how badly he just wanted to sleep, to just let this day pass by, he had to honor his family. His depression was not to get in the way of that.

Hanzo dressed for the day in his plain civilian clothes. He ate a packaged bread bun while he drank his morning tea and watched the news. He smirked when stories rolled across the screen in text. Corrupt officials? Police taking bribes? The spread of Yakuza in Hanamura. His work was starting.

The news update began and the anchors talked about the fires last year. The drug supplies found in the wreckage, the amount of bodies that littered various establishments. An Overwatch official stating that they had been there to sieze the illegal arms being traded across international channels. So that was what drew the U.N. sanctioned force here. Whatever their black ops division had come for it wasn't here anymore. Weapons of more concern than the kinds still coming through the Los Muertos and Deadlock. 

 The deal with Sakai and his kidnapping of Megumi had gotten attention surely. Promising a weapon like what she could create would have put the Shimada at the top of the weapons dealing market. If Hanzo hadn't put his foot down, with the support of Tsukasa at the time, they might have sold to terrorist groups rather than just the criminal families. They bought internationally, but being able to manufacture large incindiary weapons like Megumi could create would have put them ahead of everyone. Sakai still wanted her, Hanzo would have to warn Mujin and Kano. 

Hanzo puzzled over everything he knew. If Overwatch had been drawn because of underground waves of rumors, then why take so long to act? He remembered the news articles about his supposed death alongside Genji. That with their deaths the Shimada Castle fell into historical rights. If there had been eyes on the clan, and there would have been, then why wait so long? Surely an organization that had changed the tides of war would have had the means to take down an empire even as vast as Hanzo's had been. Why stop where they did?

Unless there really had been a leak before Genji died. A high up leak considering some of the holdings were attacked. But they hadn't hit everything, so it placed the traitor in the league of family rather than average forces. The only places not hit were the places only the elders and the Kumicho knew of. Hanzo hadn't been privvy to all of them until he'd taken the mantle himself. 

Hanzo shook his head, Overwatch wasn't here anymore, so he didn't have to wonder at their motives. It didn't matter if there had been a traitor, or if it had been Genji at all. The operation had cleaned out the locations of known associations. There was one left in Hanamura, and he'd taken it out the night before. Guns all broken apart and missing the firing pins. Useless to anyone who would sieze them. With a discreet call of the organized crime detectives Hanzo had left it all to them.

He had to turn his attention to the elders now. He'd laid the groundwork to take out the lower ranked yakuza members. After he finished here, while the fallout rained down, he would raze the battlefield of it's supplies, and cut off any regrowth. That happened by removing the heads of the snake. With no chain of command, the rest would be easy pickings for the police. 

Hanzo turned the holoscreen off and packed his things away silently. He cleaned the hotel room of his presence, leaving it as sterile as he had found it. He checked out via his phone, then he set out on foot across Hanamura. There were a few places he wanted to visit before the evening came, before he went on the attack.

 

* * *

 

The family grave site was located in the community space set at the base of the mountain. Hanamura spread in what was a angled stretch of land. At the very top of it, even above the skyscrapers, was Shimada Castle. And at the base of that incline away from the large metropolitan area, was a massive park that shared space with a cemetery. Divided by a concrete wall, the memorial stones spread like a bleached white sea. 

Hanzo filled a bucket from the water station and took a brush with him. He walked along the tall memorial stones. Each emblazoned with the family name. The Shimada stone was massive, in the heart of the whole area. He looked at the stone for a long while before he scrubbed away the detritus and cleaned away any leaves. 

Hanzo had not been back since his parents funeral. He settled the pack of cigarettes and hair pin against the stone before he lit four sticks of incense. He gathered them in his fingers and exhaled slowly. "Hello Mother, Father. It has been too long since I was here. I have been too ashamed to return. It is no excuse though."

Hanzo should have returned before now. He should have gotten vengence long before now. But his shame had kept him away. Fear and inability after that. His mother would have been dissapointed in his hesitation. His father would have been even less impressed with Hanzo's inability to manage the clan. 

Hanzo had not lived up to the visions his parents had had for him. He knew they'd wanted both of their sons to reign over the clan, to take it into the future. He and Genji had been unstoppable together. Hanzo had allowed himself to become the villain to his brother. His _murderer_. 

"Forgive me." Hanzo choked out as tears spilled down his cheeks. His fingers tightened on the incense and he sobbed over them. "I have become the Dragon of the South Wind. I murdered Genji to keep order. I have killed our bloodline, decimated my honor. I have become the very thing you wanted me to fight against."

Hanzo settled the incense into its little holder and bowed to press his hands to his forehead as he wept. For the first time he acknowledged out loud just what this had done to him rather than the great wrong it had been to Genji. He was sullied down to the soul, he wasn't even worthy to kneel here and honor his parents. 

"I wish he had been the one to kill me. As weak and wretched as I am, the clan would have flourished under his leadership. They wouldn't have turned on him if I'd died instead." Hanzo spoke to his parents memorial. What he wouldn't give to feel his mother's fingers carding through his hair, his father's firm support guiding him.  "I was lost without you, I still am."

Hanzo exhaled to try and center himself again. He poured sake into three cups and sat two next to his offerings. He lifted his cup and closed his eyes as anguish burned through him. "Forgive me, I do not deserve the honor of grieving for you. But I will mourn you both as you deserve. I swear I will try to honor your memory and Genji's. Maybe...if I try hard enough... I can reclaim some shred of my honor in doing so. Hopefully, I can atone enough for you to still call me your son."

Hanzo knocked the burned incense sticks into the bucket and packed away his sake cup and the incense holder. Hanzo pressed his hand to the stone beneath the Shimada name. He nodded once and stood up.   "Farewell, for now."

 

* * *

 

Hanzo had a single mind to hunt for something as he walked the park grounds to while away the day. He tracked the birds that flitted too and from the trees. He found what he was looking for and climbed carefully up a tree looking for the next of a sparrow. 

When they were children Genji had often been compared to a sparrow for how swift and sure he was. His blade dove much like the bird would in the air. Their father had called Genji his little sparrow up until he died. Hanzo had the saje he knew Genji preferred, but a Sparrow feather would go a long way to entreating his brothers spirit. 

The nest came into sight and Hanzo braced with his feet to look into it. No eggs lay within, but it was neatly packed with some cherry blossom petals tucked between the twigs. Hanzo spied what he wanted poking from the side and he drew out a single feather. 

He reached the ground before the bird returned. Hopefully he hasn't disrupted it too much. Hanzo thumbed over the feathers silky texture. He remembered the day Genji recieved his nick name. Small and too good with his practice shuriken. A Sparrow he's been, but a hawk he'd grown into.

Hanzo tucked the feather into the inside pocket of his jacket and left to his next destination. His day wasn't done yet.

 

* * *

 

Rikimaru Ramen loomed above him just next to the massive closed gates of Shimada Castle. Hanzo adjusted his gait as he approached. He lumbered more than the fluid walk of a shadow. There were guards nearby observing the streets. He didn't want to alert them. Hanzo slipped into the restaurant and the small space felt more like home than anything else did.

Hanzo slid the plates off of his feet and tucked them into his jacket pockets. He settled where he did when he wanted solitude any other time he'd visited. A space at one of the long tables against the wall. The cook looked up from the kitchen and his daughter came out. There were three other patrons she delivered bowls to.

Hanzo placed a double order for the Bonsai Ramen and tea. She left him and Hanzo settled onto his knees. The smells of rich broth simmering, the hiss of boiling noodles being shaken from the water; It all pierced Hanzo with longing. So many times he and Genji had raced here, thinking they were on adventures and sneaking out. They always had guards trailing them silently from the rooftops. 

Genji had loved the the space ship outside, an aesthetic choice by the owner to entice the kids from the arcade over for a bowl. Hanzo had taken great pride in bringing Genji for the first time. As the elder brother being so grown up, he'd paid, and the owners wife had patted his head and sent them home well fed. As they grew older it was their place to eat just the two of them. Sure they came alone other times, but Rikimaru was always friend and business free.

Hanzo's tea arrived with a hot towel he used to clean his hands. Not soon after both bowls of his ramen with firm noodles were delivered. With no one watching him in this lone corner of the room, Hanzo unhooked his surgical mask and inhaled deeply. It smelled as amazing as he remembered. 

The first bite drew tears to his eyes. Both in relief and despair. He loved this food, it was as perfect as it had always been. But it reminded him of home and happiness. Of jostling elbows, of snapping chopsticks and reaching to steal sliced pork. He remembered a hearty laugh and the whine of _Nii-san_. Hanzo lifted his free hand to almost stop the ache in his heart. But it was there, and it hurt immeasurably.

Hanzo ate swiftly, savoring each bite while he chased the good memories. Watching Genji through his mind eye as he grew, his servings growing as well. This was _their place_ , untouched by the bitterness and anger that had ruined them. He was crying when he stacked the second bowl into the first. The grief assailed him, and once more he just wanted to go to sleep. Not this time though. He had other places to be.

Hanzo left the bill and a large stack of credit chips on the table. Then he exited and crouched as he put his soles back on. It had been a worthwhile stop, but just as painful as he'd expected. He smiled as he passed his hand over the door before he set off to waste the last of his day away.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo changed into the gear he was getting accustomed to using. Hanzo smoothed his hand over the tattooed length of his arm. Bare and readied to not impede movement. And to give his dragons space should he need them. "Are you both ready?" 

 _ **'Yes,'**_ Ramen pulled free of the tattoo to nuzzle Hanzo's bearded chin.

 _ **'Let us go.'**_ Udon coiled around Hanzo's  hand and nipped his thumb once. Hanzo settled his guitar case on the roof of the arcade. He urged both of his dragons back into his skin before he dropped to the street. 

This late the streets were deserted. Long years of yakuza presence had taught the residents to steer clear during the evenings. This made Hanzo's entry easy. He'd always known which routes to take to get in and out. The massive castle doors were open, guards talking as they walked onto the grounds. Not many, so word had gotten out that Hanzo was in Hanamura. The rest would be protecting the elders. 

Hanzo broke cover and sprinted for the huge wall next to the gates. He climbed up to the ledge under the roof and looked out across the entry grounds. Hanzo saw a pair of guards entering the area from the main house. There were two more walking towards the giant bell under the shelter. Hanzo dropped to the covered archway that ran along the building that housed the guards rooms and slipped into a back area walkway. Ahead of him the city lay sprawling below the overlook.

Hanzo inhaled to center himself and drew a sonic arrow. As he came on the stairway that led below he shot it just past the edge of the bell. The four guards were gathered together in a distinctive bloom of red. Hanzo shot a scatter into the wall next to the group. Startled screaming had Hanzo moving.

Hanzo raced down silently and swung his bow across the nose of the first guard. He twisted and slung his whole arm back into the other. The guard shouted as his jaw cracked against Hanzo's arm protection. He kept the momentum and kicked the third while he was clutching his bleeding side. The fourth got caught by the other and Hanzo stood over all four of them. He knocked them all out swiftly and exited towards the building just outside the shelter. He climbed to the second open level and sprinted for the stairs that led between the out buildings.

He shot an arrow into the creamy white gravel that ringed each plant and building. The dojo was empty, the grounds outside just as empty. Hanzo avoided the gravel, if he looked too long he would see the splashes of blood, the littered bodies all around. It wasn't real, just a flashback. He circled the back walkway and entered the dojo from above.

Hanzo looked over the large alter where he'd attempted suicide. The back hallways that led into the main house. No one else was here. Hanzo gripped Storm Bow tight and dropped into the small space above the walkways that led below. There was a hall that led back outside just behind him. Hanzo walked across the dojo and his heart surged as he took in the space for the first time in a year. 

Storm Sword sat on a table top rack, notched blade pointed up. The tapestry still hung in place sliced and spattered with blood. Hanzo sighed and walked to the side first. To the stairs that led out to the city below. It was here he'd killed Genji. The whole thing felt so distant now. Like a fog had colored everything. Right on these steps they had clashed before Hanzo summoned his dragons to counter Genji. Blasted into nothing with only limbs left behind.

Hanzo turned from the steps as his vision started to waver. He walked to the low table and sank to his knees. He sat the last two sake cups down and filled them from his gourd. Hanzo poured for Genji and sat it before Storm Sword. The sparrow feather was laid on top and Hanzo pulled the small multitool from his quiver. Switching it to the knife he sheared his long hair off once more. Ragged locks fell around his cheeks. The ribbon found its place back on his wrist.

"Hello Brother, " Hanzo spoke as he lit the rest of his incense. Hanzo closed his eyes as he prayed for Genji's peaceful afterlife. "I know you would not forgive me for what I've done to you. This is a selfish thing I'm doing, honoring you, though I've murdered you. I do not have the right to even sit here in the place you died. But no one else will do so, not in our dispicable family. I wish you had killed me instead. I wish I had never raised my blade to you. I should..."

Hanzo choked as he cried anew. Ramen and Udon spilled into his lap. They coiled close and he lifted them to his face. Their comfort was the only thing keeping him going forward. If he hadn't had them, he would have nothing.

"I will kill the elders who did this to us. And when it is done, I will live in atonement. I will remember every day that I should have been the brother you deserved. I should have stood by you, I should never have tried to make you into someone you were not. I'm so sorry Genji. I'm so, so sorry." Hanzo spoke through the heaving of his shoulders.

Hanzo bowed over his dragons. Letting the incense wash over him. Shakily he lifted his sake cup for them to lap from. Then he drank it and let the cheap taste remind him of his brother. "I'm going to do better Genji. Everything this family was, I will ruin it all. I'll tear it down at the base. You deserve this and so much more... I know it is impertinent of me to seek atonement for this. But I will seek redemption. And in the afterlife, you may take your vengeance upon me."

Hanzo choked on another sob as he mourned. Mujin was right, he'd needed to do this. Hanzo had needed to honor Genji like this. Udon and Ramen left him to nose around the offerings and make sure it was all laid out perfectly. The incense burned out and Hanzo emptied it onto the small tray behind his sword.

"I must go brother, there is work to be done." Hanzo sat his cup next to Genji's and wiped his eyes dry. "I miss you, _so very much._ More than you could have ever known when you were alive."

Hanzo rose to his feet and drew Storm Bow to him. This was for from over. Kentaro had been the start, six more to go. Genji deserved to have his death avenged. It was a year late, but Hanzo would get it done.


	18. Wrong Driver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo takes a name off of his list

Yakuza clans did not have the number of elders that the Shimada did. But then again most yakuza clans did not come from a fusion of ancient ninja and samurai families. The origin behind the Shimada clan was founded from numerous families stretched all across Japan. Many had been taken by time, or were absorbed into new ones that blended back into the Shimada banner eventually. The number of elders reflected that. 

Hanzo left Hanamura to search for one such family. The Hanajima family was located out in Saitama. They had been one of the first to originally join with the Shimada. But never married into it beyond cousins of each side coming together. A Hanajima had never married a Shimada. The Dragons had not allowed it.

The Hanajima family held most of their personal revenue in alcohol. Their contribution to the Shimada fell in with their trafficking roots. They handled most of the shipments in and out of Japan. So it was odd that Kentaro had been in charge of the weapons shipment. That meant there was dissention in the ranks of who would be the next Kumicho. Any with the Shimada name had more sway than even the oldest elders.

Hanajima Hinata was a shrewd woman. She had not been the aunty who had given him candy and sweet smiles as a child. But her sons had been his playmates. Those who had never reached his level of warrior skill, but had given him rivals to grow against. They would be an obstacle, but Hanzo hoped to only kill Hinata. So he was planning to work around their presence.

Hanajima lived in a restored section of the city. Her estate was one that was part of the little edo tour group. Shimada castle had been part of the cherry blossom tours. Parts of the grounds open to the public beneath the main property but inside the walls. Hanajima's property was much the same. Heavily guarded, so he would need to plan down to the tiniest detail. 

Hanzo set up in the city in a discreet motel located deep in the heart of the city. Hanzo completed much more intensive surveillance. He debated just where he was going to have to kill the old woman. She made her rounds arrogantly through her property. Expertly raking the gravel in her garden, surveying her holdings in the distilleries in the city, bring seen out in the open for long periods of time. Or taking her car along a scenic drive across the town. That was how Hanzo was going to take her. 

Now he just needed to fit the part and infiltrate so under the radar no one noticed him. Hanzo cropped his hair into a short length that didn't require him to put it up. His treasured silk sashes would remain with his guitar case. He cleaned his beard up to a sharpness that no one should recognize. If Hanzo didn't want to be identified, he wouldn't be.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo drank in his hotel room after he cut his hair, that was when answered a call from Taro. "What happened?"

 _"Why does anything have to have happened?"_ Taro groused, _"Nothing happens here. Megumi comes for slushies, Rin steals snacks, these damn kids think it's hilarious making me work the register. Normal day in mundane life. Thanks a lot by the way."_

"I used to work the coolers when I didn't want any part of the front operations." Hanzo chuckled fondly. "And just threaten to start a tab, Rin is weird about his money."

 _"And your money?"_ Taro asked. Hanzo huffed and looked at his gourd, full with the last of Genji's cheap sake. Hanzo didn't have much left of his funds from saving Megumi. But he didn't want to let on about that.

"I'm fine." Hanzo said.

 _"Well in the off chance you aren't fine. I'm sure there's a job wherever you are."_ Taro suggested. _"Might have heard through the grapevine that you got Hanamura swarming with investigators. Even international ones. So every big name is going off the grid until that mess blows over. There's some names that aren't getting taken out because of it."_

"Hmm, I don't want to kill anyone who doesn't deserve death Taro." Hanzo growled warningly. "I'm not an enforcer."

 _"Of course not, and I get that. Rin looked over the list himself, picked a few you might find worth your time."_ Taro chuckled. _"We're all going good yeah?"_

"I don't think we were ever _good_." Hanzo drank again and sighed. "I'm not taking any bounties on the elders. This isn't about the money, it's about avenging Genji."

 _"I hear you, I hear you."_ Taro sighed. _"Saw Kentaro was found in the dock warehouse. Nice job. Where are you now?"_

"Saitama." Hanzo told Taro, wouldn't matter if he left tonight, Hanzo would be long gone in a day or two.

 _"Hanajima then."_ Taro deduced and sighed. _"Well, I got a target out there. You don't even have to kill the bastard. Cheating husband, wife wants him brought home. No more brothels she said. Willing to pay big to anyone who can scare the adultery out of him."_

"Older woman then?" Hanzo chuckled. Some elder women were tough wives, they wouldn't leave, but they wouldn't tolerate any stepping out. Hanzo mulled it over, it wasn't out of his way. And he wasn't ready to act on Hanajima yet. He actions were a taunt right now. She wanted him to come against her. She would have assassins lying in wait for his move.

 _"Yeah, real piece of work this asshole."_ Taro snorted. _"Got a few more if you need the work. There's a kill job just outside of Saitama. Big buyer lost his kid to this bastard. Rape and dirty murder. The kind of shit you might have taken on your own."_

"Hmm..." Hanzo wouldn't acknowledge either way. He didn't feel quite real at the moment. With Genji's death anniversary just past he still felt raw. He had no real clue how he might have chosen work before now. He needed to change the subject. "Sakai was in Hanamura."

 _"Oh, that bastard is still kicking?"_ Taro laughed,  _"Why have you offed him yet?"_

"He hasn't done anything to warrant my reaction yet. I never liked him, the things he did with his captives. Terrible. But that is the past and not now." Hanzo admitted. "My attention is focused on the elders."

 _"So what's the deal with Sakai now?"_ Taro continued and Hanzo checked the amount of alcohol left in his gourd. He tipped it up to drink noisily.

"He mentioned a government contact that was leaking information on Megumi's contract." Hanzo informed and Taro growled.

 _"And Sakai has this contact?"_ Taro's disbelief was founded. Hanzo hasn't been pleased to hear that himself.

"The judge in Hanamura got him transferred so he could escape with Shimada help. The elders might be behind it, money is scarce for them." Hanzo sighed and reached to his legs to release the pressure and rub away the ache if his phantom pains. Hence the alcohol, it helped. "Let Mujin know."

 _"I will."_ Taro assured him. _"Be careful, there were rumors Hanajima had her husband killed after he gave her sons."_

"They were well founded rumors. She originally wanted to marry my grandfather." Hanzo chuckled. "She wanted very badly to be a Shimada."

 _"Wonder why Inoe got the honor of breeding then?"_ Taro pondered. Hanzo ignored the spike of disgust he felt. Used like a stud horse. He growled and clenched his hand on his pants. Would he ever be free of this feeling? When he kissed Taro he hadn't felt repulsed. Maybe it was because there was no real intimacy left between them. Could Hanzo sleep with someone and _not_ feel like he was being raped? _"Sorry, that wasn't right."_

"It's alright." Hanzo said and drank the last of the sake in his gourd. It burned and made his head swim.

 _"No it's not...Hanzo-..."_ Taro started in a rush.

"I have to go Taro. Lots of things to plan." Hanzo cut him off. "Talk to Mujin."

 _"I will, but Hanzo-!"_ He cut off Taro's voice and dropped the phone into the floor next to him. He couldn't shake the thoughts away. He hadn't even thought of himself in a sexual manner since that day. The kiss he'd given Taro had been the most he'd done.

Hanzo had never been a prude, despite what Genji had believed. But the thought of going out to sleep with someone filled him with dread. He didn't know where the feeling was going, but the idea of letting anyone touch his skin made his breathing pick up. Visions of three women holding him, using him, making his body react, played out in his mind. He didn't want it. _He didn't!_

Hanzo's phone shrieked and he looked at it. He frowned even as he recognized the number. He didn't want to answer, Taro was a loudmouth. But what if they were in danger in Tsushima? Hanzo grabbed the phone with shaky fingers and ignored how grateful he was for the distraction.

"Hello?" Hanzo answered.

 _"Don't fucking think about it kid."_ Rin's gruff voice came thorough the speaker. _"Taro's got a big mouth."_

"I'm fine." Hanzo lied, he didn't want Rin to think he was incompetent. He wasn't sure when that started, or why he treated the man like he would have his father. But there it was, and Hanzo didn't know how to deal with it. 

 _"Yeah, I bet."_ Rin snarked. _"Look, don't run out and sleep with the first guy you see to prove a point to yourself."_

"I wasn't-," Hanzo's voice cut out. He was be at that point. But this frustration was real. And he was just inebriated enough to go and do something _that_ detrimental to his mind. How did Rin even know his preferences?!

 _"We good kid?"_ Rin asked.

"I will not sleep with anyone. Not yet." Hanzo said clearly. "There is much I have to do. There is no time for such...frivolities."

 _"First time I've ever heard it called that."_ Rin snorted. _"Alright, I'll tell Taro you're good. Looked like he gutted himself the moment you hung up. And you said he's actually a skilled assassin?"_

"One of the best in Japan." Hanzo acknowledged with a wry smile.

 _"I don't see it."_ Rin groused.

"That's the point." Hanzo chuckled. He was thankful for this call. The emotions didn't seem so close now. The visions of those girls not in front of him. "Goodnight Rin."

 _"Yeah, see you soon kid."_ Rin hung up on him and Hanzo drew his hard knees up after re-engaging their fasteners. He pressed his cheek to the cold metal and decided to sleep here. Nothing was soft and nothing could touch him in this corner. Not with Storm Bow in his reach. He was _fine._

 

* * *

 

Hanajima Hinata had made a mistake. She was cocky. Giving her routes out as clear as day. Hanzo had followed her for long enough. Mapping out her route, and his best chance was while she was traveling. She didn't take more than one car. She was expecting him to be where she stopped. So Hanzo's plan unfolded simply. He would infiltrate the yakuza that guarded the garage, pose as a driver and he would have her the moment she got into the car.

Hanzo exchanged his clothing for the cheap suit her contingent of Shimada wore. Sneaking among them was tough, but not impossible. The young master turned Kumicho had long hair and a clean shaven face. Hanzo no longer wore either. Only Hanajima herself would recognize him, but the one in charge never actually saw their drivers. He was playing a role, one he planned to play well. 

"Who are you?" The guards asked as Hanzo looked up from putting the drivers hat on his head.

"Kuronoda Shiro." Hanzo lifted his voice a few octaves. Playing the part of the nervous but arrogant driver. "D-Do you not remember me sir?" 

"Hmm..." This was Takeru, Hanajima's oldest guard. With the other guards looking at the superior smugly acting like they knew him. And most of them did, Hanzo had snuck among their drinks outings and lazy patrols for days. Talked with a number of them like they'd been friends. It was like he'd been party of this group for years, and not just days. No one would question it until after Hanajima was found dead. "Keep your head down you shit."

Hanzo let the man bump his shoulder aggressively and looked across the large disguised garage. No one was paying him any attention. Just a grunt getting the treatment they all got. He slipped his gear bag into the driver side door of the car he'd claimed. Then he waited with the others near the card table to be summoned. With careful hands he delivered drinks and snacks to anyone who demanded it. It was like he was a preteen all over again paying his dues with the men. But that was the point here, no one was paying attention to the grunt.

Hanzo pocketed the laxatives he'd used on one driver, and set out the cigarettes for another. Within moments Hanzo was playing cards with the others. The first driver was up and begging off for the bathroom. Loud complaints filled the room and Hanzo joined in. As if tempted the second got up to take the cigarettes.

"Stay here Shiro, if the boss needs a driver you're it." The second smirked as he took off. Hanzo huffed indignantly and stretched in his chair and picked up a can of tea. He watched the guards as they chuckled and stood just outside the open doors to be part of the conversations and still keep an eye on the grounds outside.

On schedule Takeru came in and looked around. He spotted Hanzo and huffed. "You! Bring the car around."

"Yes sir." Hanzo jumped up and took the keys for the car with his gear inside. Hanzo got inside and started the black hover car up. The black window cutting off the driver from the back was rolled up the moment he started the car. He drove out and around to the front of the traditional property. Hanajima and Takeru stood there, none of her sons were with her. Perfect chance. 

Honestly, Hanzo might have had Takeru killed if the roles were reversed. He'd ignored his instincts to look into the unknown driver the moment he'd seen him. Now Hanzo was the only driver available. A shameful lapse in judgement, or an overestimation of Takeru's own skills.

Hanzo rolled the window down as the older guard came to the passenger side. "To Omiya, the storehouse."

"You got it boss." Hanzo nodded and settled into his seat. Hanajima was settled into the back seat and Takeru climbed in after her. Hanzo smirked, everything was going to plan.

He drove out onto the hyper highway where the new technology linked with the car and took over, self guided at this point. With no one watching him from behind Hanzo started to unfold his bow and string it. He checked his arrows and then the vehicles course. He looked out the rear view and frowned when he saw a police tail. He'd been too slow getting here. With all of the effort he'd gone through to set Hanamura's criminal presence aflame, they had looked beyond it. Now they were no doubt tracking down known associates. Hanajima being a long standing one.

Hanzo was going to have to slow them down. He set his bow down and rolled the window to the back down a crack. "Boss, we have a tail."

"He's here Takeru." Hanajima turned in her seat to glare out the rear view. He was indeed _here_ , only he was closer than she thought.

"Lose him." Takeru ordered.

Hanzo rolled the window up, took the wheel and switched off the GPS. He swerved through the two lanes next to him. The guided hyper road adjusted the paths of the other cars. Hanzo then slid beside the large body of a cargo truck. He showed down and came out behind the undercover vehicle a few car lengths away. Hanzo branched off to another exit and trailed through some more updated streets. He watched for the tail and didn't find it again. They weren't counting on Hanzo being the driver. He'd have to cut those investigators in on the Hanajima's holdings.

Hanzo looked at the map and adjusted his course based on where he planned on going. He pulled up outside of a secluded park. An employee entrance was the destination, far away from the more frequented parts of the sprawling grounds. Hanzo exited the car and engaged the child locks.

Hanzo inhaled the warm spring air and rolled his shoulders. Storm Bow was in his hand, quiver finding is pace on his shoulder. The employee entrance was quiet. The camera was already disabled and an older model hover car sat next to the large dumpster.

Hanzo jerked open the door where Takeru was. His foot shot out and buried in the bodyguards stomach. "Kuronoda, you bastard!"

Hanzo stepped back and the man surged onto open ground. Hanzo caught the knife driving at him. He twisted Takeru's wrist and flung the knife far away from him. "My business isn't with you. So get out of my way, or fall."

"Wait-..." Takeru gaped, his older face smoothing from his angered sneer. Finally recognizing the man before him. "Hanzo?"

"Your answer Takeru?" Hanzo settled his weight on his heels, "I won't tell you again."

"Enough." Hanajima called. She edged out of the car. Her geta clacked on the gravel strewn ground as she levered herself out of the car. She wrote a deep purple kimono, emblazoned with pink and gold flowers at one corner. Her hair was pulled back with no adornments in the gray locks. Her sweet elderly face belied the cruel woman she was. She'd always been cold to Hanzo. Perhaps because he was the grandchild of the woman who had stolen his grandfather out from under her.

"Hello Hinata." Hanzo greeted the woman. "Drop your knife and gun."

"You always were observant." She rolled her eyes and reached into her obi to remove the tanto resting in a bamboo sheath. The petite gun in her sleeve was dropped to the ground just as smoothly. "Far too much of your grandfather in you."

"Just enough." Hanzo answered as he pointed his bow at Takeru and shot an arrow right into the man's knee. Takeru shouted and fell to the ground. They're would be no interruptions. "I told you to answer. Now throw your own weapons here."

Takeru threw two guns and two knives at the ground by Hanzo's feet. That done Hanzo looked back at Hanajima. "So what now Oyabun?"

"I am not your Oyabun." Hanzo snarled. 

"Are you certain?" She lifted a brow. "You can always come back. The numbers are dwindling. But there are still enough holdings to rebuild."

"You think I want to rebuild?" Hanzo scoffed. "You think _that's_ what this is?"

"Isn't it, even deep down. So you had to do was kill a few of us." She looked him in the eyes with all the disappointment he'd grown used to seeing as a child. In her mind he was no more than a child throwing a tantrum. A deadly one filed with violence and death. 

"No, this...is for Genji." Hanzo lifted his bow and faster than she was ready for, his arrow was lodged in her jugular. She jolted and fell back against the car. A gurgling cough fell from her lips but Hanzo just watched as she lifted her hands to the arrow. Like a fool she tugged it out. A heavy torrent of crimson life blood spilled down her front.

"No! Boss! What have you'd done?!" Takeru yelled and scrambled for the elderly woman. Hanzo stepped into his path and watched the life leave her eyes. He needed to _see_ it. Once again, he felt nothing. He should, but he didn't. Hanzo turned as the blood stopped flowing. He knocked Takeru's hands away and yanked the arrow out of his knee. "You bastard! I'll kill you!"

"You are welcome to try." Hanzo took off his jacket and dropped it onto Takeru's lap. If he were smart he'd stem his own bleeding. Finished Hanzo reached back into the car to take his gear bag.

"You won't get away with this! The Hanajima will hunt you into death. Traitor! Bastard!" Takeru roared even as he scrambled to staunch the blood.

"Maybe not, but it must be done all the same." Hanzo walked to the rented car and placed his palm on the glass to unlock it. "The Hanajima family will be under by morning, and another branch of the Shimada will be unrecoverable."

That said, Hanzo got into the car and started it up. He pulled the burner phone from the glove compartment and dialed the investigation office that was no doubt following the leads he'd given them. 

"Track this phone number and you'll find Hanajima Hinata's body. A known associate of the Shimada-Gumi. If you look into her holdings you'll find that she's a smuggler and a peddler. Cause of death is jugular trauma, from gang retaliation. Good luck." Hanzo dropped the phone to the pavement and set off. 


	19. Gamble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo decides to gamble

Convincing a man to stop cheating on his wife was not the easy part of the small job Hanzo did before leaving Saitama. The easy part came in terrifying the man's lover, and every hostess club he went to. Hanzo was skilled in the art of intimidation however. And when he walked in dressed in that ill fitted suit, looking every bit the part of a Shimada, everyone agreed readily that they would never cater to his target again. Hanzo had given the man a beating. A fair one in his opinion , he didn't even bloody the fool. Then he'd deposited the man to his wife and told him if he caught wind of him cheating again, Hanzo would return to finish the job. It was now up to the _husband_ to do right by his wife now.

Hanzo was a couple thousand dollars richer, and he took the other jobs Taro suggested. The jobs he'd taken between Saitama and Osaka had filled his accounts considerably. The dirty work he was very accustomed to. But the reason, the _targets_ , were acutely different. That was not to say Hanzo had not been hired to get even with someone over his time working under his father. But Hanzo was doing this for more than just the money. Taro had been considerate in that. Only men who deserved death, and women who had escaped justice. What a strange world, that Hanzo would be the harbinger of justice. 

Hanzo's next location was back to Osaka, in the city proper, where two elders made their trade. They maintained the yakuza relations branch of the Shimada. In Osaka the Shimada had the largest share of the gambling monopoly. There money was stored before it was transferred out to be laundered all across the Shimada holdings. With the trade handled by the Hanajima cut off, the drugs maintained by Kentaro long burned; the prostitution, intimidation, and protection businesses were all wiped out.

The last bit of criminal holldings lay in the assassinations headed by Tsukasa, the casino ring that was ran by Fukushi, the kidnapping and torture run by Inoe, the business relations maintained by Junpei, and the legitimate accounting done by Tokomori. Everything else fell within each of these essential roles. Hanzo had controlled all of it for a few months. Vast and overwhelming thought it was, he'd done it well.

Hanzo's current targets were Fukushi Takeshi, and Shimada Junpei. Fukushi had come into the gambling role after he'd worked his way up under Sojiro. Hanzo's father had worked with him the entirety of their lives born and raised for the clan. Fukushi had taken to Osaka and their substantial holdings well. Junpei was Sojiro's cousin. He kept relations settled in the more volatile Osaka region. Money made people jumpy, Junpei keeping the peace with his name ensured Fukushi could maintain business. 

Out of all of the devastation from the Crisis, Osaka had been mostly unscathed. It had been a font of revenue that helped rebuild their country after the crisis. The various Yakuza families had entered into a very profitable alliance with the Shimada then. They gave a massive lump sum of money to the Japanese government in charity. Because of that donation the Shimada-Gumi had cemented it's tenuous ties with the government. The many that took bribes and were threatened made the entire transaction look legit. That entire plan had been Junpei's.

Junpei and Fukushi had not argued against Genji's death though. But they should have, Genji had been a regular patron outside of just being family. When Genji had to enforce protection , it was in Osaka he did so. So they were next on Hanzo's list. And as badly as he wanted to race in and take them both out, this would require much more rigid planning. There were alliances in place he would need to disrupt. Cash flow to cut off, elders to isolate.

Hanzo had much to do but the elders were spooked, far too aware of him coming. So he would need to lay low while he conducted his surveillance. Hanzo chose an apartment to rent rather than a hotel. There would be eyes on temporary lodging. And Hanzo had to stay under the radar until he was ready. Being in another cheap one room apartment reminded him of his last one. Then it reminded him of the house Mujin had practically shoved him into. Comfort and safety but not home.

Nothing felt like home anymore.

Hanzo spent the first few days in seclusion. The first order of business was taking Storm Bow apart to re-shell for this next venture. He braided a new string from a translucent blue thread that flexed and moved like the strings he had been using. It was in the material list Megumi had given him. It reacted well even he tested it. Then Hanzo set about the arduous task of building new arrows. He changed the shafts, meticulously created the Scatter and Sonic arrowheads. He changed the fletching to a synthetic fiber that brushed against his fingers and flew perfectly. When he was done giving Storm Bow her tuning he let Udon and Ramen swarm her.

Hanzo spent the next day at a known neutral tailor. Silence had to be bought but by the time the man was done with his work Hanzo had a new suit that fit him like a glove. He also now had a pair of shoes that would cover his prosthetic feet. He was going to be a little brazen in his approach. That was the only way he was going to get to Fukushi and Junpei.

Hanzo then began to plan his next move. And the best way to do that was to call in a favor from the Kuroda Family. Which would either go in his favor or end up with him riddled with bullet holes. Hanzo was going to have to gamble on the debt owed to him.

 

* * *

 

Dressing as he was Hanzo looked very much the yakuza boss he'd been a year and a few months prior. Hanzo headed for a Kuroda owned pachinko parlor. The Kuroda-Gumi was run by Kuroda Kai. The older man was just a few years younger than Hanzo's father. He'd made his gang's fortune in loans and gambling. Kuroda had incurred his debt to Hanzo when Hanzo was eighteen. The man's sixteen year old daughter had been kidnapped by a man who had a gambling addiction and a sizable debt to the family. With none of the families cooperating, Sojiro had taken the job to hunt the bastard down. Hanzo had been sent to prove their goodwill. Hanzo found the girl, and dragged the fool to Kuroda to punish. Seeing as young Yumi had been viciously attacked her father had been grateful to have her returned. No one bothered the man's daughter again. 

Hanzo knew going to Kuroda was his best shot at Junpei and Fukushi. So he walked through the Kuroda parlor and to the back entrance. It led into the next building butted up against it. Inside was where the real gambling took place. Hanzo regretfully handed over his gear bag for inspection. The three yakuza who eyed him in suspicion grew even more so when they looked inside.

"Just tell Kuroda that Hanzo has come to see him." Hanzo reached into his bag and looked at each of them dangerously as they flinched and reached for their guns. Hanzo pulled free four stacks of bills that he sat next to it. "I'm a patron after all."

It took a few moments of tense staring before one man split off. Hanzo rolled his shoulders back to appear relaxed. He rolled the cuffs of his sleeves back to the middle of his forearm. Udon and Ramen's snarling maws glared up at him. The man returned with a bothered sneer.

"Kuroda will see you now Shimada." Hanzo stepped in and kept his intent low. He didn't want to make them jumpy. He picked up his bag and tucked the money back inside before he headed into the smoky room. Raised tatami platforms sat on a grid pattern. Hanzo stayed between them where sites were discarded. Various games covered the platforms, decorated traditionally with Kuroda game masters settled on the tatami with their guards to keep the games clean. Their work was delicate, but they were brutally efficient. Sometimes it was their tanto and stern demeanor that kept fights over cheating from breaking out.

Raucous shouting and laughter filled the air. No one looked up from their games, but Hanzo knew his presence was noticed. They took in his appearance without showing him they were looking. He wanted them to see him, he wanted word to get out that he was here. It would scare the elders into getting sloppy. A whole month after his last attack on the Shimada. They thought they were ready for him, but they had no idea. 

Hanzo entered the back room where Kuroda and his daughter Yumi stood behind a massive desk. "Hanzo! My friend, you've got quite the bounty on your head. What a dumb shit you are for coming here."

And just like that the guards behind him leveled guns at his back. Yumi hesitated before she firmed herself and lifted her own weapon. Hanzo just met her gaze with a reassurance, it was good to see she'd grown stronger with time. He looked back at Kuroda and snorted. "I think my bounty is small compared to the debt you owe me."

"Debt?!" Kuroda shouted and thumped his fist once on the desk. They glared at one another lengthening the tension. Hanzo didn't move, they had him in their sights. But they wouldn't shoot, not without Kuroda's orders. The old man was losing hair on his head, the silver starting to over take the rest. He hissed suddenly and snatched a pack of cigarettes from the desk. "Damn, you're right."

Everyone looked at Kuroda in shock and he barked a laugh as he lit one to smoke. Kuroda inhaled deeply and blew out the smoke from his lips even while he held the filter in his lips. "Well, the fuck you all standing here for?! Get lost! Fucking Shits!"

The room emptied until it was just Kuroda, his bodyguard Ichi, and Yumi. Hanzo lifted a brow at the old man, "Must you always greet me like this?"

"You can fuck right off. You fucked everything up." Kuroda pointed at him before he thumped back in his chair. " _Deserter!_ I couldn't believe it. Then Hora-San says it's all true. You bailed out on the largest Yakuza clan in Japan. You guys were fucking Ninja! _Ninja!_ "

"There was little else I could do." Hanzo boldly sat in the chair before the desk and slouched enough to settle the bodyguard down. "They made me kill Genji."

Hanzo met Kuroda's eyes, and a very serious understanding passed between them. The things one would do for those they loved was a dark acknowledgement. Kuroda cursed and stubbed out his cigarette. "Yeah, I can see the rampage now. Never did like the way you dragons listened to those old fucks. Your father didn't give a single shit during the Crisis. But after...after he listened."

"Yeah." Hanzo shook his head. "Let's make a trade Kuroda."

"Trade?" Kuroda snorted. "I don't do trades, I gamble."

"Well then, you're going to gamble. And at the end you'll no longer owe me." "Hanzo smirked and leaned forward. "You'll even have the Shimada gambling assets."

"The-..." Kuroda sputtered, "You're serious."

"I am." Hanzo nodded. "I'm dismantling the Shimada empire. The drugs are gone, Overwatch took care of that. No one is willing to work under the Shimada in the sex trade now. That leaves the gambling, and the dirty work. I don't care who picks the corpse for leavings."

"I get first pick huh?" Kuroda blew out a breath and gritted his teeth. "Shit."

"If you manage to get a meeting with Junpei." Hanzo tilted his head. "Fukushi I will have to go to. I'll need you to help me get in there too. Once I've gotten rid of them both, it's all yours."

"Damn, you don't fuck around." Kuroda rubbed his chin and looked to his daughter. "What do you wanna do Yumi?"

"I trust Hanzo." She said and looked at him with bright eyes. He'd carried her to the car while she's sobbed and railed against the injustice turned against her. Because a civilian didn't want to pay his debts, she'd been an outlet for the man's frustration in every way imaginable. Her sharp pantsuit told him she'd gone out of her way to never be weak and vulnerable again. Hanzo could relate to that.

"Well fuck, alright! I'll set up a meeting with Junpei. But you're gonna have to turn someone off the scent." Kuroda turned to Hanzo. "Ever since you turned the fucking crime investigators on us, business has been hard to conduct. I need the asshole in charge out of my fucking way."

"I'm not killing a cop." Hanzo warned.

"No? Think you're better than us now that you're out?" Kuroda bristled and Hanzo leaned forward to slam his own hand on the desk. Sometimes he needed to be rough with Kuroda. This kind of man would appreciate the punch to the face that Hanzo was tempted to give him.

"Does this _look_ like I'm out?" Hanzo growled as he brandished his tattooed arm. "So long as the dragons are inked into my flesh I'll never be _out_. But I can be done with this life. I'm going to give you the casinos under Shimada control. I'm going to remove the two elders who stand in your way of taking over Osaka. And in exchange, you want me to get rid of a cop I sent on the warpath to clean up what's left of my clan."

"So what will you do to get rid of this asshole?" Kuroda demanded.

"I'll give him Shimada fronts to chase. Just hold up your end of the bargain." Hanzo snapped.

"You're a hard bastard to work with." Kuroda huffed.

"You knew that already." Hanzo leaned back, his irritation waning. He reached for his bag and slapped his money down. Yumi came forward and exchanged it all for chips that worked in all of the casino's he was going to be frequenting. Drawing yakuza attention and now the police. Hanzo swept it all back into his bag and stood. "We're in agreement Kuroda?"

"Yeah, we got a deal. I'll get Junpei for you. But I won't get to Fukushi unless you get rid of the cops." Kuroda pointed. "Your fucking elders are spooked. The police are trying hard to get into the casinos."

"One of the legislators gambled here frequently." Hanzo leaned his head back. "They're working fast."

"Well, since you killed that old bitch Hanajima they're trying to get them all before you do." Kuroda informed. "So don't fuck me Hanzo. I'm not getting caught for you. You shit all over that too."

"I did." Hanzo want going to apologize. There would be no more jail break outs for the Shimada loyalists. That crippled the rest of the crime families as well, but Hanzo didn't care. "After this, our debt is cleared. When the last Shimada elder falls, we will never see one another again."

"Hmm, for your sake let's hope so. After all this, you'll be a traitor all around won't you?" Kuroda snorted and waved a hand. "Well, get to work, you let me know when you've got the detective on another trail. Then we'll meet Junpei." 

Hanzo nodded and stood, he slung his gear bag to his shoulder and left the office the same as he came in. But as he left he felt less like the yakuza boss he'd been, and instead was the assassin he'd been trained to be. Only he didn't have a kill order, just an officer to get rid of. There were plenty of ways to derail an investigation, even if it was one he wanted to proceed. 

 

* * *

 

Getting noticed was easy enough, Hanzo just took his gambling tokens to the various casino's around Osaka. He even spent a few days in the most public ones, seating himself next to older women and men who were whiling away their lives. Hanzo instead won every game he played. His tokens were designed that way. So his simple buy in was dealing him triple what he'd come to the city with. Kuroda was good like that. 

Hanzo's very public outings never revealed where he came from or where he went when he left. But they did reveal one thing about him, he _wasn't_ visiting Shimada establishments. There were reasons he was doing so, and that was to test the alliances in place. Either the Shimada elders would try to capture him, or they would send an assassin for him. And doing that would infringe upon the other families. They didn't care if a deserter was in their territory, they only cared if he was making waves in their places of business, which Hanzo wasn't. Tensions were high, and Hanzo was making note of every small change. 

Sometimes Shimada vehicles would hover down the street he had chosen to gamble on. Shimada men and women who were gambling would leave the illegal parlors to report on his arrival. But no moves had happened yet, so he was just waiting for the right moment. His sojourns into Osaka served a double purpose, he had gotten the notice of the undercover officers lingering in the parlors or streets around the gambling dens as well. He knew they knew who he was, and that he was here. Chief Kansai wouldn't have let them go into yakuza dens without knowing who he was. Considering he was their leak. 

So one night, a week into his planned outings Hanzo posted up in one of Kuroda's bars. He nursed a plum wine drink with ice as he waited. Kuroda hadn't been happy he had planned to wait for an officer to come to him. But there would be one eventually, Hanzo had gone out of his way to make himself available for them. The police had been just as confused as the rest of the families were. Why was he here? What was he going to do? Was he going to tear all of the familes down? Were the Shimada the enemy? Keeping Hanzo's enemies off balance was the easiest way to manipulate them into doing what he wanted. 

A man joined Hanzo at the bar and waved down the bartender to order what Hanzo was having. Hanzo tilted his head and looked at the man next to him. Short black hair with a clean shaven face. He looked to be a year or so older than Hanzo. So he was in his thirties, he gave of the air of non-chalance, but Hanzo could see he was the officer he'd been waiting for. It was in everything from the suit that fit him but didnt _fit_ him. Yakuza only ever wore the kind of suits that _fit_. He walked awkwardly, as if he was hindered from moving his hips, so there was a fire arm there. "It was secondary, there was another one under his arm as well, Hanzo had seen it as he'd unbuttoned his jacket to sit. Now the question was, if this man was going to identify himself as a detective or not. 

Hanzo lifted his plum wine and finished it in two pulls to accept the new one placed before him. Hanzo lifted it an acknowledgement and settled it onto his cocktail napkin. "The Chief said if we saw you to not engage." 

"Hmm, a wise order." Hanzo said level as he turned his glass. "You chose not to follow that order." 

"You gave us a lot of intel on your own family. But you beat us to Hanajima, so you know more than what you have us." The man said and lifted his drink to his mouth. He pursed his lips after drinking, "Sweet."

"That's the point." Hanzo smirked. "You know who I am then?"

"I do, Shimada Hanzo, last heir to the Shimada family. Only you were supposed to be dead in the car accident that killed your brother. A year later you turn up in our department and give over a massive ledger exposing corruption all over Japan. Corruption your family had a hand in doing. It took us forever to start cases against all of the politicians, the police, and then the businesses." The man shook his head. "We were moving on Hanajima when she turned up dead from your tip. How did you know she was dead?"

Hanzo didn't answer, he wasn't going to give this fool a reason to arrest him. He wasn't going to jail before his work was done. So he just drank again and looked at the bottles before him.

"Right, my bad." The man huffed and drank again. "My name is Tajima Ryu, detective for the Organized Crime Unit of Hanamura, but I suppose now I'm the lead detective for the Special Crime Unit for all of Japan . Formed to take down the yakuza you've turned us towards." 

"Sounds pretigious." Hanzo inclined his head. "So what brings you to me now?" 

"Besides hoping you'll give me a lead, I'm here to see just why _you're_ here?" Tajima said. "If someone else is going to die...I hope it's not anyone connected to this case?" 

"Youre asking a lot of a random man you've stalked into a bar." Hanzo remarked. "How about I give you a hint instead?" 

"Off the record, your name won't appear anywhere." Tajima promised. 

"That would be best." Hanzo snorted and turned to look at his compaion. Good looking, Hanzo noticed. He didn't feel a flash of panic at finding himself aroused. That was good, and new. "What are you looking for at the moment?" 

"Where the Shimada gambling houses are." Tajima pressed. 

"I'll give you one." Hanzo said and inclined his head. "In return you tell me how far into the ledger your team has gotten." 

"We've brought down everyone in the police at the officer level. We're working on removing those in commanding positions. The same applies to the judges. The politicians were arrested first." Tajima answered. "We tracked the income here, same as we tracked stolen goods to Hanajima." 

"Hmm, the arcade across the street sits above a Shimada video slot parlor." Hanzo returned the information. He lifted his drink and finished the last swallow. Then he picked up Tajima's and drank it as well. "Nice working with you officer. I come here every two days to unwind. Come again, perhaps we can get along in a more casual capacity." 

With that said Hanzo lifted his bag and sauntered from the bar. The detective was now officially distracted. And Hanzo had discovered he could still be attracted to someone. Not a bad devolopment at all. 

 

* * *

 

 

Hanzo met with the detective a number of times before he finally had to divert Tajima away from the casinos. Kuroda had gotten the meeting, and Hanzo needed to get this detective out of the way so that he could remove the elder. Hanzo had a plan, a poor one if he was being honest with himself. But he was going to implement it, and kill two birds wtih one stone.

He'd spent a solid two weeks meeting with Tajima, sharing intel back and forth, fitting himself into the role of informant rather than a target. Hanzo was also attracted to the officer, a fact he was so relieved to find that he wasn't broken. Hanzo remembered he had a great amount of experience in flirting, but he was still dealing with his trauma. He didn't want to misread the atmosphere surrounding them.

So when Hanzo went to the next meet up he stayed dressed in his work out clothing, rather than the casual clothing and suit he'd worn previously. A tanktop underneath a sleeveless shirt that hung loose on his body. He left his tattoo brazenly in the open and didn't try to hide his prosthetics or brand. His short hair wasn't in the way but he did wrap Genji's green silk sash around his wrist. Tajima stared at him openly when he appeared at the cafe Hanzo had seated himself at. So he hadn't misread the signals. He kept his foot on his bag and let the officer look. Knowing it was a man looking at Hanzo, appreciating the cut of his arms and shoulders, that wiped away any lingering apprehension Hanzo had about propositioning his contact. Tajima sat down and averted his eyes embarrassed to be caught staring.

"T-The lead panned out." Tajima stammered, it was pleasing to know Hanzo could still make men stumble over their words. "Thank you." 

"There is a weapons manufacturing site, just outside of Osaka." Hanzo mentioned, might add well ruin the place he'd already attacked. That would keep Sakai from gaining a foothold of he got out of jail again. "The Shimada used it as a holding place for kidnapped assets. Sakai, you already have him, used it most recently for experimental weapons manufacturing. It wasn't something we did a lot of, but it still happened. Sakai is not a Shimada but he did plenty of business with us." 

"Thank you, I know there were..." Tajima looked at Hanzo's tattoo and flushed. "- _Rumors_ about your family." 

"Which ones?" Hanzo asked, he found himself adopting a bit of Genji's flirting style. It saddened him, but not enough to stop him from getting what he wanted now. He was deep into this plan, and Hanzo wasn't giving up. He used to be good at seduction, and he didn't want to keep feeling sullied. 

"That your family were like ninja." Tajima shook his head. "There's been talk of how they helped during the Crisis. Got past all of the official lines." 

"My father took supplies to the Samurai. He felt it was his duty to help protect them even they were abandoned in enemy territory." Hanzo said, "And as for being ninja...we were trained to fight from the moment we were old enough to hold weapons. Everyone born into the clan, and everyone who earned the right to be part of the clan is taught these things. We came from an old line of ninja and samurai, it's...tradition." 

Tajima's eyes flitted to the white skin of Hanzo's other arm. The brand of his traitor status emblazoned there. All the nano healing he'd done during his training had smoothed it to the same contour of his arm. The texture was different but it was no longer raised. Had it been tattooed it would have been a mark of his honored affiliations. Instead the massive tattoo was instead a badge of his bloodline. His status and title clear as day. Both were not shameful to him. 

Hanzo decided to make his move, the sky was begining to darken with afternoon light. Hanzo reached out with his bare arm and covered Tajima's hand with his own. 

"Would you like to ask about my tattoo or the scar?" Hanzo smirked and Tajima flushed bright red. "The scar is a mark of my banishment from the Shimada clan. I took it because I could no longer be a part of the empire that took everything from me. But the tattoo I recieved when I was a preteen." 

"Preteen?!" Tajima exclaimed with horrified eyes. 

"It was also tradition, one afforded only to the main family. I earned it, and the whole thing was done in one day." Hanzo lifted Tajima's hand to smooth over his dragons maws. Udon and Ramen were silent, accepting rather than loud and hateful like they had been during his captivity. That was a good sign. "My dragons were a blessing bestowed to me, a birthright, inheritance." 

Tajima's thumb smoothed over a bolt of lightning. Hanzo relaxed, feeling in control for the first time in nearly a year. The panic that gripped him while he was hunting Hanajima was no where to be found. And he hadn't even had to pick up somone random like Rin and Taro feared. This was a cop that had integrity, Hanzo wouldn't feel threatened by him. He also could kill the man in a heartbeat with just his bare hands. That was liberating to remember. 

"Did it hurt?" Tajima asked suddenly. 

Hanzo hummed in thought, had it hurt to have the tattoo etched onto his chest  shoulder, and arm? Small inch by inch carefully mapped as the artist traditionally laid the ink into his skin. The weave that allowed them life and existence healed into his body over weeks of adjustment. He'd writhed in pain for hours after it was done, but then he'd heard them. Young voices that were still vastly older than he was. Two brothers who called him theirs, who said they belonged to him. Two blue dragons who could not leave his skin because he was still healing, but promised they would play soon. And when they did they splashed into his bowl of take out Rikimaru ramen.  _Udon_ and _Ramen_ he'd named them right there. 

"It was worth it." Hanzo said picturing the noodles that dangled from delicate little translucent horns. Their wide looks that reminded him of startled cats. "This tatoo, for all I've spurned my legacy, is somthing I will never regret." 

Tajima gaped at him as Hanzo picked up his iced green tea. He finished it and stood he picked up his bag and took out a hotel room key he had procured for this moment alone. He sat it on the table and lifted an eyebrow. "In case you wanted to see where this went." 

Hanzo left then, and wound his way stealthily through the city. He let himself be seen before he crossed to the hotel to wait. Sure enough he was only in there for two hours before the door opened. Hanzo was fresh from a shower and he waited in the bathroom to be sure it was Tajima. When he was assured he set Storm Bow back against the sink unseen and exited with just a towel around his waist. He'd cleared his mind of dark thoughts. Just attraction and his response to it, he knew what he wanted. 

"S-Shimada?" Tajima gaped as Hanzo leaned on the doorway of the bathroom and turned the light off. 

"Just call me Hanzo." 

"Hanzo." Tajima-...no Ryu said and his eyes darkened with the lust his professionalism hadn't managed to hide entirely this whole time they'd shared information. Hanzo relaxed a little more, those were a man's eyes, and a man's body. 

"I want to bottom, think you can handle that?" Hanzo asked brazenly and Tajima looked like he wanted to swallow his tongue with how quickly he nodded. Hanzo smirked and walked over, he took that tie in his fist and turned dragging the man to the bed. 

 

* * *

 

A second shower and a new canteen filled with plum wine was a good way to wash away the feel of Tajima from his skin. It hadn't been bad, it wasn't the best he'd ever had either. But Tajima had certainly done his level best to give Hanzo exactly what he demanded. Hanzo was languid feeling, the kind of languid that came from a good fuck. Hanzo hadn't panicked once so they went three times before the poor officer passed out. 

Hanzo chuckled as he finished dressing. He texted Tajima's unit with an in progress tip Konoda had sent him to keep them out of their affairs tonight. Then he sat the phone carefully on the dresser. Hanzo slung his quiver over his shoulder and picked up Storm Bow. "Hanzo?" 

"Hmm, I thought you might sleep longer." Hanzo looked up and Tajima struggled suddenly. His wrists were tied expertly with some rope Hanzo had brought. "If I did not have places to be we might have had some fun with you tied up like that." 

"Something is happening isn't it, this was a distraction." Tajima kicked his bare legs under the sheet in anger. "You-!" 

"This would have happened even if there were not a reason for me to lure you here." Hanzo walked over and crouched to be level with the officer. "You did something good for me tonight. You reminded me of what it's like to experience pleasure that's wanted. That I can _enjoy_ sex again. So I thank you for that. When you get free, and I know you will, feel free to hit the Dragon Eye Bar, it's a known Shimada haunt here in Osaka. Most of the clan's assassins go there when they are in this city. With Hanamura out of the question, any and all payments will be coming from there." 

"What are you going to do Hanzo?" Tajima jerked on his wrists as he struggled and stared at Hanzo's bow in horror. "You killed Hanajima, with a bow and arrow." 

"I did." Hanzo sighed. "After this you will not see me again. It won't hurt to tell you any more than your Chief already knows. The Shimada was a clan of assassins, sure we were steeped in every illegal activity imaginable, but assassinations were our gold standard. The elders ordered an unforgivable act. I am rectifying that, bringing justice to them." 

"Just name them and I'll arrest them, I swear!" Tajima urged and Hanzo shook his head. 

"The only way to honor those they have taken is to pay that debt back with their lives." Hanzo said and stood back up. He strode to the door and picked up his bag. "You do you job Ryu, and I will do mine. It was fun, you were good." 

Hanzo left then and looked at his burner phone with the location emblazoned on it. That was enough personal experimentation, they're was work to be done. Junpei and Fukushi needed to pay for Genji's death.


	20. Aggressive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo knocks some names off the elder list

The meeting was to happen behind one of Kuroda's legitimate establishments. Hanzo circled the alleyway by rooftop. Memorizing all avenues for descent and escape. He measured distances and the places he would need to be to shoot with the maximum amount of power. Cover, visibility, sight lines to Kuroda's location. It was a spotty location, not one he would have chosen, but Hanzo was nothing if not adaptable.

Hanzo's gloved fingers tightened his tie and made sure the armor across his shoulder was covering the black leather sleeve that ran along his non-tattooed arm. Hanzo tested Storm Bow's string and checked his arrow count. Everything was in order. He was as ready as he could be for this night. 

Kuroda and Yumi exited the back of the sushi restaurant they had chosen. A stream of Kuroda yakuza followed behind them. Hanzo kept out of sight, he didn't need to be noticed this early. Not with the long limo pulling into the alleyway. Guards piled out first, then Shimada Junpei stepped into the alleyway. He was impeccably cut in his all black suit. His familiar short hair was receding at the top. Junpei's face looked more wrinkled than it did the last time they'd seen one another, which was saying something. This man had watched Hanzo lose his legs with a stoic expression, but his dark eyes had sparkled with delight. Junpei had always taken pleasure in another's suffering.

"Oi! Shimada!" Kuroda snarled, his smart mouth was the thing that relaxed everyone. If you could count on one thing, it was Kuroda's rudeness. "Glad you'd could show the fuck up! We've got a damn problem on our hands!"

"The Shimada will handle Hanzo, you need not worry about him." Junpei lit a cigarette boldly and walked towards the casino boss. Handle him huh? Always cutting to the chase, even if he only had half the facts. 

" _Hanzo_ ain't the problem. There's _police_ sniffing around." Kuroda huffed. "You got more problems than your runaway boss. How are you gonna fix it?! They're only here because you Shimada got sloppy when you were killing off your leaders."

"You telling me you want out Kuroda? The Shimada still have the majority shares of the gambling here in Osaka. Without it you go under." Junpei scowled. "Don't speak about things you don't know."

"Yeah see I don't think that's how this is going to go." Kuroda snorted at Junpei's posturing and turned. He wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulders and steered her back to the restaurant. "Have fun."

Hanzo measured the distance between the two groups and drew two arrows. He shot them both and the Scatter arrowheads split apart on either side of the limo. Hanzo dashed around the alleyway rooftop and angled a normal arrow towards Junpei. The other Shimada was trained however, his eyes shot up to Hanzo and he dodged the arrow by leaping to the side. Hanzo gritted his teeth in annoyance and dispatched the guards around his target. Weapons fell unused to the ground in seconds. Gunfire from Junpei himself forced Hanzo behind a ventilation generator. When Hanzo peeked back out it was to take out the shooter who had climbed onto the limo to get a better shot. But they had created the opening Junpei needed. The older man was in the limo and they were leaving.

Hanzo growled and abandoned the alleyway in favor of cutting the limo off. He sprinted across the rooftop and drew a Sonic Arrow the moment he leapt out into open air. The activation on the middle of the limo roof sent a bloom of red to Hanzo's vision. Hanzo plummeted towards the vehicle and landed in a roll. He dropped his heel onto the skylight and let the limo's forward momentum slide him right into the opening. Hanzo crouched inside the limo cabin and lifted his bow to aim at Junpei.

"Holy fuck!" Junpei jumped and gaped, a crash in the stoic mask he always wore.

"Stop the limo." Hanzo ordered. Junpei turned like he was going to rap on the window between the front and back seats. Hanzo loosed the arrow just beneath Junpei's arm. Horrified eyes whipped back to him, the arrow had pinned Junpei's suit jacket to the leather bench seat. "And let go of the gun."

"Hanzo, you don't have to do this." Junpei changed tactics and held his free hand up, his trapped hand angled up at the elbow. He knocked on the window and rolled down an inch, "Stop the car."

Hanzo adjusted his knee, and blew out a breath. One more for Genji to judge on the afterlife. "W-Wait! I'm a Shimada! We can rebuild you and I! You're the only one who can pass the dragons on!"

"The dragons die with me. There will never be another Shimada Kumicho." Hanzo glared. It all came down to this. The entirety of his life he'd spent being groomed to rule the family. And they had only seen him as a pawn to breed more dragons into the world. It was the only thing they wanted from him. Denying them the honor of the Dragons was a rebellion that gave him satisfaction. Murdering them in retribution was for Genji though. "You ensured that when you ordered me to kill my brother."

"G-Genji-?!" Junpei waved his hands rapidly. It always shocked Hanzo that Genji had ranked so very low in their eyes on why Hanzo had become the avenger that would take down their family.

"Do not speak his name." Hanzo growled angrily. "We have all dishonored ourselves with his blood."

"Dishonor?" Junpei asked incredulously. "Fuck, you're actually serious!"

"What else would I be?" Hanzo flicked his aim and shot Junpei in his free shoulder. Now he couldn't grab for his gun. It paid to be ambidextrous, too bad Junpei wasn't.

Hanzo shifted over and divested his cousin of the gun. The driver side door was yanked open. The retort of a gun had Hanzo angling his head. He narrowed his gaze at the windows in annoyance at the interruption. "Pick up the pace boy, we still gotta hit up the casino."

Hanzo huffed a snort, Kuroda was as impatient as ever. Hanzo sighed and pulled his arrows free from the car seat and Junpei's shoulder. He looked at the elder and remembered how he'd looked when Hanzo's legs were pulled from the hot coals. The laughter that floated underneath Hanzo's screams during the amputation. But even more than all of that, his disdain when they spoke of Genji in the council room. That Genji was going to turn traitor eventually. They were just getting ahead of the curve by killing him.

Hanzo's fingers tightened on his arrow, watching the blood drop as his anger burned hot in his chest. Hanzo had argued, Genji was his _brother_. The hateful words from Genji had poisoned him but he'd still fought against the decree. To keep them _both_ alive. But it was _not_ enough, Hanzo had never been enough to protect Genji. Not from the moment he was born until the day he died had Hanzo been useful to his brother.

Hanzo felt his arm move before he told it to. With great force he stabbed Junpei under the ribs with his arrow. Angling it deep and then upwards. Junpei struggled against him. Hands scrabbling at his shoulders, trying to force him away.

"You should have stood with Genji, he was your blood as well as mine." Hanzo hissed venomously. "You had your heir, and business was perfect. He did not need to - ... You just _had_ to join in and stain us all with killing him. My brother...what failure I was to him. I hope you find his forgiveness in death."

Hanzo jerked his fist and drove the arrow right up into Junpei's heart. The man jerked and thrashed before he weakened. Hanzo stayed close, watching the light leave his eyes the same as he had with Hanajima. Hanzo slumped to sit and let the bloody arrow remain lodged in Junpei's abdomen. He wanted the elders to know who it was when they looked at the autopsy records. And they _would_ look.

The fetching was dripping with blood, Hanzo's handed covered in it. It was heavy, what he had to do. More so than all the deaths he'd taken over his life. Killing family was much dirtier, staining him even more than the assassination work did. Hanzo sighed deeply and gathered himself back together. Hanzo climbed from the car and found they hadn't gone more than a few blocks from where he'd come from. Kuroda was waiting next to another limo. 

"It's done?" Kuroda asked.

"Of course it is." Hanzo joined the man and climbed into the other car. 

"We'll be entering from the loading bay. The rest of our men will cover the exits. Fukushi won't escape." Yumi told him. Hanzo nodded his thanks. And took a wet wipe to clean the blood from his glove. Hanzo took stock of how many arrows he had left and which ones they were. He spent the rest of the drive preparing more from the spares he had tucked inside his quiver.

The drive was short, and they pulled into the loading bay of a large casino that doubled as a Shimada hotel property. Hanzo waited while Kuroda and his people got out. Gunfire went off immediately all around. Knuckles rapped on the back door next to him seconds later. Hanzo climbed out to see all of the Shimada on guard were dead on the ground. Kuroda might be a rude bastard, but he was efficient. 

"You got it from here Hanzo?" Kuroda asked as he lit a cigarette. 

"Yes, so long as Fukushi doesn't sneak away." Hanzo didn't want to prolong his hunt much longer. Junpei's blood had been a reminder of what he was doing. The title _'kinslayer'_ kept reverberating in his mind. Hanzo shook it all away, nothing mattered but the end result.

Hanzo tightened his fingers around Storm Bow and started for the door now flanked by two of Kuroda's men. He moved into the hallways, storage rooms converted to yakuza gambling rooms, poker tables were set up in the employee rooms. Hanzo breezed past them, he cared little for anyone inside gambling. The guards weren't outside the rooms, their attention was on the games going on within.

Fukushi had an office on the main floor, so that was where he was going. Hanzo was noticed by a change in guards, guns flying from holsters. It was unfortunate that there was a roving patrol at this time, but circumstances were what they were. Hanzo couldn't shoot effectively this close to them, so he lunged closer. The first gun went off as it was thrust to the ceiling. Hanzo turned on his heel and slammed the back of his wrist guard into the throat of the second man. As the guard reeled Hanzo tore the gun out of his hands and threw it behind him.

Hanzo jerked back as a knife was thrust towards him in instinct alone. Hanzo danced out of the path of a series of slashes, he backed up a few steps to get a better look at the situation. He glared at both men who readied to attack him again. A small shift of his foot and the knife weiding guard raced at him. Hanzo slung Storm Bow up to parry the blade away from him. Hanzo thrust his fist out under the man's extended arm. The force of his punch slackened the guard's grip and the blade clattered to the ground.

Hanzo stepped into the man's space further and knocked his legs out from under him. His arm lopped around the man's neck as he fell to his knees. With a tight flex Hanzo broke the man's neck and let him finish falling face first to the ground. The other guard was clutching his throat and staring at Hanzo in horror. Then the idiot raced to the wall grabbing the fire alarm and pulling it.

"Shit!" Hanzo hissed as the shrill alarm went off. He grabbed the man by the back of the head and bashed him into the alarm in punishment. Hanzo spent a moment cursing his inability to keep this whole endeavor quiet and efficient. Letting the guard set off an alarm...what was _wrong_ with him?!

Hanzo growled at himself and shot forward. Too late for stealth now. Hanzo took an arrow and readied it as he took off at a jog. He dodged into an empty supply room and watched a number of guards race by. Hanzo edged behind them and ran up the short steps to the ground floor kitchen hallway. The kitchen was bustling with people shutting off the stoves and ovens before they joined the massive amount of people leaving through the maim dining room.

The fire alarm, despite being an unintended annoyance, still provided an opportunity. Hanzo looked around as he followed the group of employees who spilled into the dining room and headed to the opposite direction of the exit. The Shimada-Gumi wouldn't leave until they knew the exact cause of the alarm. Even then they would gather up resources and leave another more secure and secluded route. That wouldn't fly either, Kuroda was monitoring the exits for Fukushi.

Hanzo rounded a corner behind the lobby check in area and scowled when he saw the elevator bay. Fukushi was standing there with a small army of Shimada guards. His bald head exposed new wrinkles and sagginess to his jawline. The edges of tattoos crept up his neck exposing his very old world traditions. He wore a dark green haori over his striking suit. Hanzo lifted his bow and angled his shot. 

A shout rang out behind Hanzo and it startled everyone. Hanzo whipped his gaze to the source and startled when he saw Tajima racing towards him. Hanzo growled in annoyance. Could _nothing_ go right? 

Hanzo whipped back to Fukushi but the guards were glaring at him warily as they rushed their charge into the stairwell. Hanzo hissed in fury and turned in an abrupt angle. Hanzo wasn't sure how the other man had gotten free so soon, or even knew to be here. But good lay or not, Tajima was in his way, and that was unacceptable. 

Hanzo's arrow found itself buried in Tajima's leg. A safe meaty spot away from any arteries. A flesh would that would scar minimally. Hanzo saw the rest of the plainclothes detectives racing towards him. Hanzo growled and glared at the man who was just doing his job. He could have just done another part of his job tonight, why did he have to come here? It had been foolish to get involved with the detective, even if it had been part of Kuroda's deal.

"It would be unwise to continue further." Hanzo warned Takoma dangerously. 

"You're better than these criminals. Better than the Shimada!" Tajima gritted out as he put pressure on his leg. 

"No, I'm not. I'm the worst of them all." Hanzo shook his head and took off faster than they could react. Hanzo smashed his fist into the emergency stop elevator button and broke the device inside. Then he slammed into the stairwell door. Storm Bow was up, new arrow aimed and shot right through the neck of the guard left behind.

Hanzo entered the stairwell and locked the door. He jerked the door knob upwards instead of down and broke the tumblers. With the pathway jammed tight and impenetrable he nodded. It wouldn't hold the authorities off forever, there would be another stairwell on the other side of the casino. But this would buy Hanzo time. And that was all he needed.

Hanzo shot three Sonic Arrows into varying points above. The first three floors were clear, the next three however showed a large bloom of red to his eyes. The guards, congested and trying to work their way up. But the last arrow showed a lone two red figures climbing higher. Hanzo nodded and slung Storm Bow over his shoulder. With a leap he was on the railing and jumping with climbing motions up each railing. Back and forth on one side then to the other to vault higher. Hanzo climbed above the congested floors and drew three Scatter Arrows at the same time he landed and balanced on the railing. He aimed all three scatter arrows and loosed them on each open space where the guards were shouting and scrambling over each other to point their guns at him. 

Hanzo jumped up again and kept going as the projectiles ripped into the Shimada men trying to stop him. He jumped to an empty flight and put his feet on the steps. He raced up listening beyond the shouts of the injured and dying below him. No he was listening for an opening door. When he heard it he knew just where Fukushi had gone. The scrape of gravel and cement on a heavy metal door told him _rooftop_. Hanzo dragged off his last sonic arrow and aimed it outside of the cracked doorway. 

The bloom of reaction told him the last guard was just behind the door, Fukushi was racing away from the access. Hanzo kicked the door violently and aimed for Fukushi who was running across the slick stones on the rooftop garden. Hanzo rounded the moment the arrow struck Fukushi in the shoulder. He ducked under a swung fist and whipped Storm Bow into the guard's stomach.

Hanzo stepped back but his heel slipped on scattered gravel. Hanzo toppled but he still grabbed an arrow and and aimed quickly from the hip. The guard came at him as the arrow sank into his chest. He fell on Hanzo with gurgling death rattle as the arrow plunged deeper between his ribs upon landing. Hanzo struggled to free himself. The guard was heavy as he was shifted to sprawl in a dying heap next to Hanzo. 

Hanzo's body sang with exertion, of near triumph. He turned and a gunshot rang out. Hanzo grunted as pain sank into his abdomen on the right side. Hanzo looked down and blood was pouring from a gunshot wound there. Hanzo pressed his hand to the wound, a matching ache came from behind him. Straight through. Hanzo rolled across the gravel as more gunshots peppered the gravel as Hanzo rolled across it. He stopped and Scatter Arrow spilled from the quiver over his shoulder. Hanzo snatched it and rolled to his uninjured side. 

Fukushi was struggling back to his feet as he reloaded. Hanzo wasn't going to get to express his hatred for the other man. It was kill or be killed at this point. Fukushi whipped around gun lifting when Hanzo's arrow sang through the air silent and deadly. The arrow buried in the base of his neck. Fukushi startled at the motion. He staggered and looked at him in shock. Then the arrow activated and each projectile blasted apart. It shredded the man's neck, nearly severing it. When Fukushi hit the ground it was only his spine keeping the head attached. Blood spurted from severed arteries across the ground. 

Hanzo grunted in pain and cupped a hand to his bullet wound. He got to his knees, then his feet. There was no way to get down from here without leaping to his death. Hanzo looked around, hobbling to the ladder that he could see behind the roof access. It would lead to the next leveled portion of the casino. Good enough. He just needed to vanish so that he could get cleaned up. Hanzo looked at the bullet hole in his side, the blood gushing between his fingers. He hoped he could make it back to his apartment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I play hanzo I always get irritated when I end up in the middle of the fight rather than on the edges where I can shoot effectively. So I end up using the jump to jump backwards as I use my ult.
> 
> Otherwise the enemy characters get inside the gap and stomp my ass into the ground. No damage from the Dragons, and I'm dead. 
> 
> T.T like really.
> 
> I'm best at a distance.


	21. Down Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo has hurt himself, and. his unintended family is not happy about it.

Escaping the casino/hotel was a blur. Hanzo remembered falling from a lower rooftop onto the hard surface of a dumpster. He was behind even the loading bay. He remembered getting to his feet and promptly falling against the gritty alley ground. He could only see flashes of the city lights as he stumbled onto a train and rode in a secluded car until he was noticed. Hanzo rode a taxi after that, ignoring the omnic driver's insistence on going to a doctor. Nothing but darkness and hot flashes of pain accompanied his trip through the alleyways after that. Up, down, and backtracking, all to get back to his apartment safely.

Hanzo fumbled into the apartment and all but fell across the genkan. He shouted as his whole body lit up in white hot pain. The ache was deeper, and more aggravated than it had been the whole time. Hanzo absently kicked off the shoes covering his prosthetic feet and dragged himself to his supply bag. He tossed clothing and his toiletries bag to get to his first aid kit. 

Hanzo unbuttoned his vest with shaking fingers. The white button down, stained red all across his stomach, was ripped open with no care. Hanzo yanked a biotic pen it out of the top of the case and jabbed it into his abdomen next to the bullet hole. Hanzo gritted his teeth as he screamed through the pain. The nanites spread fast, he could feel the cold seep of them as they dove deep into his body. 

Something was wrong if they weren't trying to stop the bleeding and instead set further in. Something was wrong with his organs then. Hanzo grabbed for the large syringe with a hollow body. He tore open the sterile body and filled it with a biotic packing solution. It took some maneuvering, but Hanzo managed to lay down on a pad of gauze that was held by a long string of bandages. Then he inserted the long needle into the bullet hole and depressed the plunger.

It burned, worse than being shot, worse than the nanites. But this biotic packing solution was fuel for the nanites. It not only filled a wound, stopping the bleeding and creating a suspended state if survival, it would wear away as the wound was healed. It wouldn't last, but it would help the nanites work longer to keep him alive. If his organs were damaged...there was a lot more work to be done, and he couldn't risk bleeding out. 

Hanzo dragged his phone to his head with bloodied fingers. He needed to get help and while the thought burned his mind he ignored the strike against his tattered pride. He could barely see his vision was so blurry. He just punched a contact and it connected. Hanzo pressed more gauze to the wound before he started to tie it off. 

"Hey, Kid, kinda busy right now, what's up?" Rin's amused voice came through the line and Hanzo tensed. He'd been aiming for Taro.

"R-Rin." Hanzo grunted as he pulled the gauze too tight.

"Hanzo, are you hurt?" Rin demanded. "How bad is it?"

"Shot, straight through... Maybe organ damage." Hanzo sputtered as his abdomen protested the tight pull of the bandages. "Biotics...aren't working fast enough."

"Fuck, where are you?!" Rin demanded. "Kano!" 

"Osaka," Hanzo huffed his vision was looking spotty, sleep sounded nice.

"I'm two hours away. Can you hold out until I get there?" Rin growled. "God dammit,  _Kano_!" 

"I can try." Hanzo admitted. He managed to rattle off the address. "Police...might be looking for me..."

"Hey! Did you stop the bleeding?!" Rin snarled and Hanzo blinked his eyes back open. He looked at his stomach and the bloody tracks of his fingers on the gauze. It wasn't seeping blood, that was good.

"Bio...filler..." Hanzo chuckled as he looked at it. What revolutionary science the medical world produced. He closed his eyes and Genji was there. Hanzo's hands slackened and his mind fell quiet. He reached with weak fingers for the smirking Visage with green hair.  "Brother... _Genji_..."

 

* * *

 

"Anija, I can't believe you got shot! You!" Genji hissed as he frantically pushed towels to the wound on Hanzo's hip. "Stop _laughing_!"

"It's just...not like you to get this worked up." Hanzo chuckled and continued to rifle through the first aid kit for the metal tongs and numbing agent. Genji was the spirited type, nothing really phased him.

" _Damare konoyarou!_ " Genji snapped. "You're seriously bleeding!"

"I am not bleeding out." Hanzo huffed and jammed the quick inject pen of numbing drugs into his hip. He dropped it to the bathroom floor where they were sprawled across messy swipes of his blood. "My hands are shaking, you will have to pull the bullet out."

" _Kuso!_ " Genji shouted and his eyes darted around in shock and fear. Hanzo reached up and covered Genji's tattooed forearm with his own. He felt Soba's worried presence mirroring Udon and Ramen's. "Brother... I cannot-...!"

"You must!" Hanzo's sharp voice commanded his brother's attention. "I know you are only seventeen, I know you have not had to do much in the clan yet. Tonight you killed those men who thought to betray us. Who planned to kill us to hurt father. Now you must turn that energy to pulling this bullet from my hip. I _need_ you to do this brother."

"Hanzo..." Genji's eyes widened before he squeezed them shut. "Okay! _Okay!_ "

Genji took the long surgical tongs. Hanzo took over holding the towel before he unbuckled his slacks and edged them down to let Genji work. He pulled his button up shirt to his collar and sat out a biotic pen. He pulled the towel away and the bullet hole gushed fresh blood.

"Oh my God!" Genji gulped and shook in fear.

"You can do this." Hanzo said and nodded. Genji inhaled deeply and adjusted on his knees. He pressed the tongs into the wound. Despite the numbness that spread across his abdomen it still felt like hot angry pressure. Hanzo grunted at the strange feeling. His vision burst in spots as Genji nudged something that grazed his hip bone. With most of the feeling numbed it felt extremely off, not good at all. "You have it, open the tongs and grab it."

Genji nodded even while his face paled and a cold sweat started across his forehead. The wound pressed tighter as the tongs opened. The foreign object in his hip jostled once, twice, three times... "Like the pachimari machine Genji."

"Like the - ...?!" Genji gaped at him in horror. "This is not an _arcade game_ brother!"

Hanzo chuckled at how offended Genji looked. He would be a poor medic if the clan needed him to do so. His brother muttered curses and refocused on the task at hand. He blew out a long breath and with the focus he only rarely showed in training he grasped the bullet and pulled it free slow and careful. When the dark slug left his skin Hanzo lifted the pre-loaded nanites and jabbed them into the same spot he'd injected the numbing agent.

"Genji, there should be a syringe in the box." Hanzo waved his free hand clumsily and Genji grabbed for the box. He lifted a large syringe and the bottle taped to it. "It's to pack the wound with. Fill it half way."

Genji did this task just as precise and seriously. He then looked at Hanzo and then the wound. He didn't need instruction from here. He just pressed the tip into the wound and filled it with the glue that would hold him until they got to a doctor. Hanzo watched his brother press a gauze pad to the wound and start to tape it down. Hanzo slumped against the wall tiredly. 

 _"I know it is just a dream."_ Hanzo spoke but Genji didn't react this time. He wouldn't, they had fallen silent in contemplation. Hanzo too tired to tell Genji he had done a good job. Genji still rattled and waiting for Hanzo's rebuke. _"But you did well. You did_ all _of this night well."_

They had gone to clean up a mess the juniors had bungled on the drug trade. Some dealers turning on the Shimada who supplied their goods. Stolen drugs and attacked yakuza, entirely unacceptable. It was a low tier job, unworthy of Hanzo's attention. But perfect for Genji's first forray into the clan's business. Genji had been in charge, brash and smart mouthed. But he'd gotten what he wanted, the address of the dealer's new cutting location.

Genji had tried to keep it civil, despite the dealers laughing at his katana. Asked if he was some kind of ninja without knowing the truth. Genji was every bit a ninja without the bodies experience of one. Genji had worn a suit, his new green hair and matching hilt wrappings set him apart. Hanzo hadn't interfered, not until Genji had tried to negotiate with the foolish drug dealers. Hanzo had cut in, told them they were to fall under heel and accept punishment for going against the most powerful yakuza family in all of Japan. Their insults would not be tolerated. Someone mouthed off to him, Hanzo would never know who. Genji had cursed at the man in the throng of a new emerging drug gang. Fierce attitude to anyone who mouthed off to them both. 

Then the gun went off.

Hanzo took the bullet to his hip and before he could draw Storm Blade, Genji had summoned Soba and they cut through the gang members like they were nothing. Because they _were_ nothing. Then Genji had rushed him back to the hotel room, struggling to hide Hanzo's bleeding from anyone opportunistic enough to think of taking on the Shimada heirs while one was injured. 

 _"I miss you,"_ Hanzo told his brother though there was no reaction. _"God's I miss you so much. Forgive me brother."_

Hanzo wanted to reach for his brother, but that was not how this event went. No he got to his feet himself and stripped to wipe himself down and tie his long hair back up. Once more the impeccable dragon heir of the Shimada he returned to the cold unmovable image he'd always presented. 

 _"You did well, you saved me that night."_ Hanzo blurted as he looked at Genji who just looked at his bloodied hands. _"I love you so much little brother."_

Instead that night he'd told his brother to get cleaned up. Genji had woodenly done so. Hanzo had taken that moment of freedom while Genji showered to let his weakness show. By the time Genji came out and changed Hanzo had gathered his wits and they returned home so Hanzo could get his wound closed fully. Hanzo hated himself so much more seeing this memory once more. 

 

* * *

 

Hanzo opened his eyes and frowned when he recognized the ceiling of his house back in Tsushima. He struggled to sit up and frowned when he realized his legs were off and settled next to his left arm. His guitar case was next to his right. Hanzo lifted his hand to his bare torso and found a light bandage on his abdomen. It didn't hurt, just a dull ache. 

Hanzo peeled the bandage free and saw why, a faint scab was all that was left of the bullet wound. He lifted the light futon blanket and was amused to find a lazy pair of shorts on over new boxers. Kano then, the omnic was too good with his bedside manner. Hanzo huffed, he'd been nine hours away when he'd made that call to Rin. How was the old Samurai only two hours away? Was he on a job? 

Hanzo grabbed for his legs and tucked his stumps into them. Shivering as the nerve attachments reconnected. He lifted to a standing position and picked up his sole plates. Leaving Storm Bow behind he grabbed a shirt from his gear bag and shrugged it on. He padded through the house and found his main living area filled with everyone on the island he knew. Save for the Kurosawa parents. All the children were curled up around his genkan. Megumi was leaning on her father who was sitting against a pillow chair. 

"Oh, Hanzo," Kano looked up from the tablet he was looking at. Mujin turned his head swiftly. "Welcome back."

"You're up!" Mujin exclaimed with wide eyes. The noise caught Taro's attention and he twisted up from where Kirai was on her phone to look at him in shock. 

"Hanzo!" Taro screeched like a teenage girl. It roused the younger members of this strange clan immediately. They all started screaming and demanding to know what happened to him. If he was okay? Where had he been? 

"Oi!" A rough bark stopped everything. Hanzo turned to see Rin between the kitchen and the hall leading to the genkan. His expression was thunderous and for a moment it felt like he was looking at Sojiro. His father's furious look when he made a mistake, when he returned home with less Shimada yakuza with him, even he returned injured, came to mind.

"Rin..." Hanzo's words failed him as the older man pushed both hands through his kimono sleeves and walked towards him. He looked serious. 

"You were almost dead by the time we got there. What the _fuck?!_ " He snarled into Hanzo's face. "You said you had it together!" 

"I _did_ have it together." Hanzo bristled. 

"Your blood loss was very severe Hanzo." Kano spoke up gently, his smooth voice drawing attention. "I had to give you a nano blood infusion."

Oh, Hanzo felt too focused on. That Kano had to use treatments usually only five in a hospital setting worried him. Nano blood bots were instrumental in emergency medicine. They worked much like universal blood infusions. They replicated blood cells and carried oxygen and materials until his body could break them down and create more blood on it's own. 

"I thank you for what you've done to help me." Hanzo bowed to Kano. "My intention was not to get hurt, but this was unavoidable. I was trapped under someone else and was just getting free. Fukushi was always an opportunist."

"You're okay though?" Megumi's worried voice drew his attention to her. He smiled at her rich purple head of hair. 

"Your arrowheads keep me safe and at a distance." Hanzo said to her with a fond nod. "This was my first real injury since last year." 

"You should not get injured, Hanzo," Mujin said from his seat and Hanzo inclined his head. "You do not care enough for your own wellbeing."

It was true, he managed well enough. The only care he put in was to maintain functionality. He turned he walked out to the genkan and put his soles on. He was avoiding talking anymore about himself. He'd been on his own for months, and while he felt lonely most of the time he now felt stifled around so many people who cared about him. They shouldn't, his wretchedness should never touch these good people. 

Hanzo inhaled the waning summer air and let it ease the awkward tension in his shoulders. "Don't ever call me like that again."

"Would you believe me if I said I was trying to call Taro?" Hanzo asked as he started for the forest path to just walk and calm his mind. Rin sidled next to him and the silence spoke volumes. Hanzo was still unsettled by how Rin's quiet disappointment felt so much like his late fathers.

"Taro might have been a good call, but he was nine hours away. You would have died by then." Rin snarled as they walked through the daytime noise of the forest. Hanzo could pick out his targets still painted around. His hands itched for Storm Bow.

"Where were you that you were only two hours away?" Hanzo asked curiously. That small fact might have saved his life.

"I was meeting a contact in the military. Can't tell you where." Rin said simply. "Some of my jobs come from them. I'm just a mercenary now, sometimes they need my help."

"Anything concerning?" Hanzo frowned.

"Well, since the Shimada-Gumi are in shambles and known elders are dropping like flies, they're terrified." Rin snorted. "The police are picking off officials left and right, cleaning house all over Japan."

"I cut off all Shimada contacts." Hanzo elaborated. "The elders are my only targets. The others Taro sent me are for funds."

"I know that, I picked some of them myself. If you didn't do it I would have. The government is just aware the Shimada are being hinted my an assassin, it's got them scared." Rin scoffed. "Are you trying to die doing this?"

What a question, Hanzo did not have a concrete answer. He would not take his own life, but that did not stop him from hoping an assassin might catch him. So far he'd kept under the radar, in and out. Even being here was a risk to everyone here.

"I will not take my own life." Hanzo said honestly. "Until my task is done I cannot lose my life either."

"That's not good enough." Rin snapped and whirled on him. "I don't -...!"

"Rin," Hanzo reached out and settled his hand on the Samurai's shoulder. "You have paid your debt to my father tenfold. You saved me after my torture. You protected and helped me when I was an invalid. And you got me help when I asked for it. You have done your part for my father."

Hanzo nodded resolutely and sprinted for one of the tall trees. He scaled it and kept climbing, letting the push and pull of his body remind him he was alive. He needed the solitude where no one was looking at him. He didn't deserve all the attention and care. He just needed to finish his work. 

Tsukasa Renji

Inoe Sakura

Tokomori Nagi

Three names left and Genji would be avenged. He had done much in only a few months. He just needed to do a little more. He could do it. He _would_ do it. For Genji. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damare Konoyarou- Shut up you bastard


	22. Down To The Wire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo goes undercover.

Hanzo ended up taking two weeks off under the watchful eye of this family that built themselves around him. They'd certainly adopted him unwillingly into it. Megumi has absconded with Storm Bow first to check it over and make sure he hadn't damaged it. He hadn't, but he wasn't willing to argue with her. Then she took two days to tune up his legs. Following that Kano had set up in the sitting room and refused to leave until no less than a proper check up was completed. It was unfortunate that it was going on at the same time Taro had showed up to get details on the state of the clan.

"What about this, Kano-San?" Kirai pointed to the tablet they were recording his vitals on.

"Oh right, you haven't had any sexual encounters recently have you Hanzo-San?" Kano asked even as he reached to tap no. Hanzo sputtered his tea at the question. Taro looked up from his phone in confusion, and everyone else stopped and looked at him.

"No way." Taro gasped, "We talked about this!"

"I-..." Hanzo refused to look back at Taro, he wasn't going to blush. He turned his head to Kano. "Yes, only once. And I used protection."

Kano almost seemed like he'd shorted out. He jerked with extremely mechanical movements to take a hollow blood test syringe from the case on the floor. "If you don't mind, might I test your blood?"

"Of course." Hanzo held out his arm. Kano prepped his arm and tied a band around his bicep before searching out a vein. 

"Alright spill, who was it?" Taro grinned viciously and leaned on the kotatsu.

"No one." Hanzo scoffed. He wasn't doing this. The needle pricked and he glanced over to watch the vial fill with his blood. 

"Who's no one?" Mujin asked as he wheeled into the room. Rin followed and nudged the pillow chair to where Mujin could just settle down onto it. Then Rin just passed to the kitchen and returned with the still warm kettle. More tea was poured and the Samurai flopped to the tatami lazily.

"Hanzo got laid." Taro smirked.

"Taro." Kirai admonished, "Honestly."

"I hardly find this to be anyone's business." Hanzo growled, with his arm back he grabbed for his legs that were off while Kano had checked the health of his stumps and nerve ports. 

"As long as you're consenting." Mujin waved a hand and this time Hanzo did flush. He really didn't want to remark on exactly how consenting it had been. But it was just sex and he had no intention of meeting Tajima again. Osaka had been very front and center. He preferred the shadows to work in. 

"You okay?" Rin asked and Hanzo bristled at the tone.

"Of course I'm fine." Hanzo snapped. He wasn't some victim to dwell on the things that happened to him once his legs were gone. One of his attackers was dead. He didn't need to continue to hold on to half remembered moments, and drugged visions of the other two women.

"So! Who are you going after next?" Taro asked and leaned forward. "Tokomori is in Hanamura right now."

"How do you know that? You're retired." Hanzo was thankful for the change in discussion. Though this wasn't where he wanted it to go.

"Well, you're down to the wire now. Tsukasa is in the wind for now, Inoe is in Kanazawa, and Tokomori is in Hanamura. I think he believes if he can get the rights to the castle he can re-establish the clan. There is that bunker under the property with the hidden arsenals." Taro mentioned.

"He can not access it. Only the head family can do so." Hanzo told Taro. "It is keyed to my blood alone. Father had it designed to read only our blood, hand print, and retina scans. He will not even be able to break in, the walls are reinforced."

"So he's low priority." Taro nodded. "Inoe is probably the easiest to get to. She took over her families holdings in the Inoe Geiko Tea House."

Hanzi hummed in thought. Her mother had owned a number of Okiya, and after her training she'd fallen in with some of the Shimada-Gumi who hired from their house. It wasn't long before she became entrenched in the clan and married her husband. Old habits never died it seemed. It was very dishonorable of her, the Geisha had always been immune and untouchable to the yakuza. It was a code they all followed by.

Hanzo frowned and held out his bandaged arm for the tablet. Taro handed it over and Hanzo was looking at the map of the flower district Inoe Sakura had retreated to. Hospitality had always been her motto, it seemed she had returned to some kind of respect. The only respect the yakuza would be forced to show to her. Especially since her ploy to breed him resulted in no Shimada Heir and a granddaughter dead by dragon mauling.

Hanzo smoothed his hand over his arm when Ramen stirred angrily. Everyone looked at his arm expectantly. Hanzo sighed and held out his palm upwards and both of his dragons spilled over it. Small and wild they set off to nibble fingers and absolutely assault Kano by trying to sneak between the gaps in his mechanical body. 

 Hanzo took the free moments he'd gained by unleashing his dragons to romp. He needed to settle his mind if he was going to pick his next target. Return to Hanamura for Tokomori, or go to Kanazawa and finish Inoe. Hanzo closed his fingers tight over his wrist and furrowed his brow. He couldn't hunt down the two granddaughters left. They had no hand in Genji's death, killing them would be for him and him alone. And Hanzo did not deserve that right.

_**'Hanz** _ _**o!'**_ Ramen whipped around from where he was playing with Kirai's fingers. His mental roar was accompanied by his small reptilian hiss.

_**'Master!'**_ Udon scuttled over and they both started to climb up his dark red kyudo-gi. _**'You can't, you have to kill them!'**_

 _ **'They defiled you!'**_ Ramen snarled.

"Hey-...uh-kid?" Rin's voice got his attention and Hanzo looked over before he tilted his head down to his dragons. They nuzzled him and whined audibly.

 _ **'Why?'**_ Ramen cried.

 _ **'They deserve to die.'**_ Udon joined in on the misery.

"They did not order me to kill Genji. My pains should not be part of the decision. This quest is for Genji alone." Hanzo spoke to them and they coiled around him closer. He relished their comfort. 

"You aren't going to kill Neruko and Asumi?" Taro gasped. Hanzo looked up from his dragons.

"I am not." Hanzo said decisively.

"Hanzo," Mujin laid his hand on the table and frowned at him in concern. "Are you sure?"

"You're talking quite casual about murder. Have you turned to the yakuza side already?" Hanzo narrowed his gaze on the room's poccupants. 

"I'm a soldier among other soldiers that refuse to announce our location to the government." Mujin snorted on deadpan. "Rin takes mercenary work. That's not always so black and white. This last time he took Kano to help with any injuries."

So that was how they managed to stabilize him and bring him back here. Kano was a credit to medics everywhere. Hanzo looked away and lifted his arm to coax his dragons back to his tattoo. They went, but their displeasure was made clear. 

"It would be a little thing to take out the girls who hurt you." Rin said and Hanzo looked at the old samurai as he twirled a sprig of some kind of plant in his fingers. "You wouldn't have to do a thing."

Tempting...so very tempting. 

But Hanzo had let his own emotions get too close in Osaka. He was not deserving of personal retribution. He shook his head. "Your intent is appreciated but unnecessary. I don't wish ill will on the Inoe granddaughters. With Sakura's death, all debt will be repaid."

No one looked satisfied at that, Kano even managed to look disapproving. Hanzo nodded and patted the table. He climbed to his feet. He'd unknowingly made his decision in regards to his next target. It was best to finish Inoe before he went after Tokomori. "I thank you all for your regard."

Hanzo left the room and collected Storm Bow and his quiver from where he'd left them in the genkan. He stepped into his sole plates and set off to shoot his tension away. He would not let his personal emotions take over again. He couldn't afford to.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo finished packing his refilled reserves of arrows and materials to build more. That was when Megumi raced into the room. Hanzo looked up at her intrusion curiously. Keito was following her with two long boxes in hand.

"Hanzo!" She grinned brightly.

"Megumi, hello." Hanzo greeted. Keito's hair was now a rainbow of colors. They were still dying their hair it seemed. 

"Before you leave, I brought you some stuff." She tossed him a wrapped cloth package. Hanzo unraveled it and looked down at two new sets of kyudo-gi and hakama. One in white with blue and silver accents, and another that was all yellow with black stripes down the arms and legs.

"You didn't have to-," Hanzo stated when Keito spoke up.

"She didn't -...I did." Keito flushed. "I've been working with Megumi. I've been working with the kind of clothing weave that is resistant to weather and knives."

"You made these?" Hanzo blinked. He checked over the clothing again.

"My sisters helped, but I've been working on all kinds of things to help you...if you want them." Keito said with an embarrassed smile. "I hope the cloud and storm pattern is correct."

"These are made with excellent craftsmanship. My own set are not designed so well. Just for low sound transmission. I always had armor I could add to them." Hanzo brushed his fingers over the fabric.

"Megumi said you would want silent fabric, and that falls in thread count and the way it rubs against itself." Keito rubbed his neck and sat down the long boxes. "These are legs that match."

Hanzo opened both legs and stared down at the fully extended telescopic prosthetic legs. Both in different colors with new sole plates on the bottoms. He looked at Megumi who beamed proudly. "My legs are amazing right."

Hanzo glanced at his bags and then his guitar case. He frowned and opened it to remove his kyudo-gi from the bottom under the false floor of the case. He tucked both new legs inside after collapsing the exteriors and the rod that supported the whole leg. The clothing he tucked into his second bag and everything was settled anew.

"Thank you both very much. I would have brought everyone omiyage, but this visit was unplanned." Hanzo shrugged and they both smiled at him in delight.

"Well, bring omiyage next time!" Megumi grinned.

"Be safe Hanzo-San." Keito said and Hanzo inclined his head to them both. He stood and shouldered his duffle and gear bag. The guitar case stayed in his hand. He bowed at the waist to both young adults. Then he headed out, he bid goodbye to Mujin and Kano in the living area. Only to come face to face with Rin and Taro outside next to the car Hanzo was going to take to the ferry. 

"I will be fine Rin." Hanzo said as he approached and the gruff man huffed like a put upon father. He really needed to stop seeing the old man as a father figure. Hanzo was thirty. Ridiculous.

"Yeah, guess we'll see huh?" Rin groused. He held our Hanzo's phone and Hanzo lifted a brow. "Got you a few emergency safe houses. There's nothing to stop you from finding your own but there's a few of our Samurai locations you can hit if you get hurt. Those automated nano machines are there, the ones that heal and shit."

"Oh, those are hospital allowed only." Hanzo blinked in shock. That Rin was extending the offer was overwhelming. "Thank you." 

"Yeah well, war heroes get whatever we want when we help out the government." Rin smirked. "The one in Tokyo is going to have something for you. Go there after Hanamura."

"After, not before?" Hanzo asked as he narrowed his gaze at Rin. 

"Your bounty is climbing every day. You're in the top ten of the world right now." Rin scoffed. "I left it for you around the time you left in the spring. When you're ready to _totally_ disappear, it'll be there for you."

"Thank you Rin." Hanzo said, he wasn't deserving of this man's help. But it would be rude to refuse at this point. 

"I should have given it sooner, maybe then your dumb ass wouldn't have gotten shot." Rin scoffed and reached out to catch the back of Hanzo's neck. He bumped their foreheads together. Hanzo's heart raced with memories of his father doing the same thing. "Stay the fuck alive."

"I will." Hanzo choked out and Rin stepped back. Taro stepped up and flicked a folded piece of paper towards him.

"Called in a favor. Seems Inoe is making waves in Kanazawa. The Danna's and Okasan's are not happy with her returning. She's trying to turn their trade into the more deadly arts. With no criminal family to back her it's stepping on toes. Yukari has agreed to let you pose as a Danna in her house." Taro told him. "She gave up her blades for the arts, so she will help you get established."

"Thank you," Hanzo said to the other assassin. 

"I know it burns you to say that to me." Taro smirked. "You don't want me leaving everyone here. Fine, I can play guard dog. I did it well enough for you once upon a time. But I'm still the kind of guard dog who gets results. Info, connections, I have them. You need back up I'll come, don't leave me out."

Hanzo could do his own legwork, he was never the pampered prince who had his jobs handed to him. He'd paid his dues as a teen. But this was an immediate lead, a way to sneak into the city and establish a network to tighten the noose on Inoe. Hanzo swallowed his shredded pride and took the assistance.

"Come back for Christmas!" Taro beamed knowing he'd won. "We'll make sure there's cake."

Hanzo stiffened as his sweet tooth reawakened with a vengeance. He glared at Taro angrily and his friend just smirked knowingly. "To myself?"

"Sure!" Taro turned and waved a hands as he headed back into Hanzo's house.

Hanzo shook his head and shared an embarrassed look with Rin. "Sweets huh?"

 

* * *

 

Kanazawa was a bustling tourist location year round. This late in the summer and early fall it wasn't as busy as it was around the cherry blossom season. As for now it was more of a local crowd interspersed with the few tourists here for the end of the season. It was busy but not so many people as he knew could fill the town.

Keeping his head down was easy enough, getting to the Yubashiri Tea House was an exercise in totally concealing himself. He spotted a number of houses that looked like they were linked with yakuza patrons. They lingered outside doorways under the guise of smoking. But Hanzo could see they were security. He also recognized many of the faces. Shimada-Gumi now turned to whatever new family Inoe was trying to build.

Yubashiri Tea House was off the main thoroughfare. The tea house was set along a quiet alleyway. The sign indicating its location was carved into wood. Hanzo rapped on the door and within moments a thin omnic opened the door. She wore a pale linen yukata. "Does Yukari-Sama own this establishment?"

"Yes sir, but we are closed for the day." The omnic bowed her head.

"Taro sent me." Hanzo said and the omnic looked up.

"Please come in, I will inform the Madam that you are here." Hanzo stepped into the large genkan and the omnic shuffled up to the glossy wooden floor. She padded off and Hanzo set his bags down. He pulled his foot plates off and stepped up onto the wood floor.

The omnic came back with a lavishly dressed woman. Long black hair was pulled back in a loose tie. Hanzo bowed immediately upon seeing her. This was Yubashiri Yukari, otherwise known to the assassin world as Yuka the Black Widow. Hanzo had not had the pleasure of working with her, nor of being her target. But Taro had worked with her when he started out. Yukari as she preferred, was a freelance assassin. Beholden to none and available to all, she was also retired.

"So it's all true then." Yukari said as she slapped an ornate fan in her palm. Odd to match with her very japanese clothing, the fan was decorated with Chinese filigree. "The Shimada are at an end, to be devoured by the dragons they so revered."

"Yes," Hanzo said honestly.

"This is a favor for Taro. But I could certainly use your skills." Yukari hummed. "Sora, take Hanzo-San's things to the room at the corner of the upper floor."

"Yes ma'am." The omnic bowed and Hanzo let her take his two large duffle bags and his smaller archery bag. He kept the guitar case. Storm Bow would be staying with him at all times.

"Come, let us discuss things over tea. The girls will be getting ready, do not mind them. The Odori is at the end of the week, so we are booked up and there is little free time. While you are here I will ask that you assist my girls as a Danna. It's been a long time since one has been needed. But lately...girls have been accosted." Yukari said as she led the way to a tea room. Another omnic was sitting there, she was practicing her tea making. Hanzo settled across from the ex-assassin. 

"There were more yakuza in the cuddy than ice ever seen. Unusual, as flower districts are neutral, peaceful places." Hanzo remarked. 

"This is so, ever since Inoe Sakura returned the presence of yakuza groups has increased. They all look ready to go to war. It is unusual to see so many in so many establishments. There have been a number of arguments and fist fights over which family will find patronage in any of the tea houses." Yukari shook her head.  "I worry she's brought the men of your clan with her and intends to use this area as her base."

"I think she might be trying to start her own criminal family." Hanzo explained. "She will be dealt with before she starts a war. The Shimada here will crush the other families of left unchecked."

"Thank you Hanzo-San." Yukari said softly. "Please drink your tea, be welcome in my home. I will assign you to my two newly graduated girls. They take calls to the restaurants and parties. They've been attacked in the streets. The other families step in but it always turns into street brawls. It's unacceptable, I'm ready to start following them myself to ensure their safety."

"I will keep them safe while I gather my information." Hanzo nodded to her and she pressed a relieved hand to her throat. 

"Inoe will be visiting in a few days, too coordinate the Odari." Yukari sneered as she lifted her cup. "You will be able to observe her then, but do not spill blood in my house."

"You have my word." Hanzo promised, he picked up the tea cup and sipped the green tea quietly. It was excellent. He nodded to the omnic who just bowed in thanks.

"For what it is worth Hanzo-San," Yukari started and Hanzo looked at her curiously. "I turned down the contract to kill you."

"It is worth much Yuka-Sama." Hanzo addressed her properly and she smiled small and secretive. Their eyes met and Hanzo was looking into the gaze of a killer as accomplished as he was. They gazed for a long moment and Hanzo knew he would win, it wouldn't be easy but he would win. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Hanzo drank the last of the tea in a large gulp before he rose from his seat. Yuakri nodded to him and the dangerous air was gone between them. He walked from the room and found the omnic, Sora waiting for him. She waved one prim mechanical hand and led him deeper into the tea house. This was his new base of operations. 


	23. Even?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not Yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, here's this monster chapter that I rewrote three times because I just wasn't happy with how I wanted the elder to die.

Hanzo stirred from his sleep feeling like death warmed over, his teeth felt gritty from falling asleep before he could brush them. The empty bottle of plum wine rolled from where he lay sweating the moment he rolled over. Ramen and Udon rumbled chidingly at him. But Hanzo paid them no heed. Instead he fished for the gourd settled in his gear bag. He drank heartily of it to hopefully banish the hang over.

That done Hanzo grabbed his legs and settled them back on. He completed his morning rituals of stretching and exercises. Then he picked a dark traditional set of clothing and made his way to the bathroom. Showering away his nights drinking was as therapeutic as the drinking itself was. His grief felt far away, and that was necessary right now.

Hanzo eyed his hair and huffed at the length growing out again. He snorted and dressed before he took his gold ribbon and forced the hair up and out of his way. That stubborn lock of his bangs returned to his forehead, but he was getting used to it now. Hanzo took a last item, a black neck gaiter that he tugged on and left settled against his throat.

Storm Bow and a quiver were set out the night before, and he collected them now for his quick gear bag. Hanzo slung that over his shoulder and left his room to join Yukari's daily preperations. It was there he was introduced to two newly minted Geiko.

Ayano was barely twenty years old. She favored the dark colors she wore now that she was fully brought into the house. And Chiyoe was the same age with a more rounded face. She accented better with the Maiko clothing she still wore inside the house. They both twittered axcitedly when Yukari told them Hanzo was to be their Danna. 

No one would dare short a Geisha. The dishonor alone was enough to scare even the dirtiest of the yakuza. But these girls were being accosted in the streets, so Hanzo would be needed there. He saw many things in the Tea House that might require his attention should anyone try and challenge these girls. The main thing being Yukari's Omnic Maiko. There were three of them, and they would complete their training soon.

Japan was one of the more progressive countries in regards to Omnic rights. But there were still old world traditionalists as there were everywhere. Kano and Mujin's relationship was the exception, not the rule. Their service during the Crisis allowed them their union. Hanzo wasn't sure how legal their marriage was, but he didn't care. Omnics and humans weren't just up and coming together like that normally. They're was still much unrest in the world. Even if it didn't affect Japan as much as say, Russia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, or even parts of America.

Yukari was giving these female Omnics a very unique chance. There were very few who went through the learning period of a Maiko. It required one to be steeped in old Japanese culture. Before the Crisis this might have become a lost art entirely. Much of their traditions were fading before he was even born. But after the Crisis...it was like the world looked at it's cultural traditions and clung all the tighter to them.

Hanzo endeavored to make sure those three Omnic's were watched over as well while he was here. But his immediate attention went to his two charges, they would spend the day getting ready and visiting restaurants. Then it was back here for a clothing change and their Tea House duties began. It was lucky they were actually going to a few restaurants that were within Inoe's invisible territory lines.

Hanzo settled in to wait as both women went through the lengthy process of dressing and preparing their hair and makeup. Hanzo drank tea and ate sweet buns delivered by Sora as Yukari explained about the route he was to take. It seemed the Tatsu-Kai were the most dominant yakuza family here. Kanazawa had never been primarily Shimada territory, Inoe was stepping on toes.

Hanzo was no longer allied with the yakuza, word would have gotten around after Osaka. As far as the underground world was concerned, Hanzo was now acting as an independent contractor. Which suited him well, it wouldn't be all that strange that he'd take work like this. Yukari could enjoy a time where no one would challenge her girls. And after he was done, it would no longer be an issue. 

Inoe would be the working challenge. It wouldn't be long before she recieved word of a new Danna protecting and managing Yukari's Geiko. He would have to play it carefully at night, assassins would come. Before, he knew it was the possibility of him retaking the Kumicho position that deterred any and all attacks. Now that he had given the Kuroda family control of Osaka, the Hanajima holdings were seized, and all government help was out of the Shimada-Gumi's reach...they would come.

Both girls giggled as they walked from the hall leading to their preparation room. Hanzo bowed to them politely and took the bag they brought with them. He tugged up his neck gaiter and waved them forward. Parasols were opened and Hanzo followed them with keen eyes. Yakuza lurked in the shadows the moment they came to the main thoroughfare. Watching and showing he would act if he had to to protect the virtue's of these two demure womeb kept them at bay. 

Their first stop was a restaurant that boasted about hotpot. They were hosting a corporate visit that had a number of high ranking executives from an accounting firm. Hanzo took up a post provided by the staff and enjoyed a n early lunch while Ayano and Chiyoe laughed and told stories for the businessmen. They poured tea and drinks, offering high class companionship without the sexual undertones. It was a delicate line the Geiko walked. They did it well.

This whole experience reminded Hanzo of his first few protection jobs. Sitting and observing his charges, a lot less killing so far though. Not that that was a bad thing, he was blood strained enough.

Hanzo watched both Geisha as they murmured to the business men. They wove stories and complimented. Expertly playing the parts of companionship. But they never let anyone touch them, this wasn't that kind of visit. These girls didn't trade in sex. That made Hanzo wonder just what Inoe was trying to do to her former tea house that everyone here was concerned. 

The paid for hours were up and Hanzo took the payment for the girl's time and once they were out of the restaurant he gave it to both of them. They continued to another restaurant, and after that a large party. Then they were headed back to the tea house. Hanzo noticed then that they were being followed. He glanced over his shoulder as both girls walked before him. Two Shimada men, suits and guns making bulges under their jackets. He recognized their faces immediately. 

Hanzo debated on getting Storm Bow, but decided he wasn't going to need to turn this into a battle. He refocused on his charges and reached out to change their path. Both girls tensed up, but they had been trained well, their demeanor appeared just the same as before. The new pathway put them more in public, which would dissuade any kind of action against them.

They returned with no trouble. But Hanzo had made note of when they fell off. Far too close to just be shadowing geisha out of the working area of another district. If Hanzo were looking at this from a gang standpoint, they were going to try taking over. Inoe would want to control all of the districts, she was rebuilding an empire in what was essentially neutral ground.

"Were there any problems?" Yukari asked upon their entry.

"None Yukari-Sama, Hanzo-San made sure we were safe." Ayano said as she kicked her geta off.

"I felt so safe. We took pictures, but no one tried to get touchy feely with us." Chiyoe giggled. They both turned to him and bowed politely. "Thank you for your hard work."

Hanzo pulled his face mask down and bowed back. "Thank you both for _your_ hard work."

They passed up into the tea house and walked off giggling. Hanzo met Yukari's gaze. She looked to his feet and lifted a perfectly penciled eyebrow. "You aren't staying tonight?"

"I've rested enough." Hanzo said carefully. Most of their conversation was happening without words. She glared at the door and slapped her Chinese fan into her palm. The hidden metal heaviness rang with the strike. He knew no one would be coming here while he was gone with I'll intentions. Not of they didn't want to find their heads rolling back to their bosses. "I will return before dawn."

"I will serve you tea when you return." She said and he blinked at her in shock. For her to serve him tea...that was a high honor. She sighed as she looked him up and down. "Maybe some plum wine if it's a bad night."

"I would be honored." He bowed, he didn't deserve her attention. But refusing would insult her.

Hanzo pulled Storm Bow out and unfolded her. She found her place over his shoulder with his quiver. His bag was left with the others on the genkan. He turned on his heel and slipped back out into the late afternoon light. Then he sprinted for the alleyway and climbed swiftly up to the rooftop.

Hanzo back tracked, staying within the growing shadows. He found the men who had followed them earlier and trailed their route back into Inoe's territory. Along the way he saw the Tatsu-Kai keeping a sharp frustrated eye on them. The arrogance the Shimada remnants were showing sent a disgusted pang through Hanzo. They were strutting around like an unchallenged delinquent in a very small neighborhood would. Hanzo was going to upset that arrogance. He wanted them scared. Hanzo stalked them as they got street food and generally menaced the locals and tourists. But they chose a deserted street that would lead to the Inoe Tea House.

Hanzo had them now.

He dropped from the shadowed rooftops and grabbed the first fool, his spiky hair was a unique identifier. Two swift punches to his kidney unbalanced him. Hanzo kicked the man down and punched him twice more. His nose was broken in an instant. Now he was dazed, bloodied and in pain. He wasn't a threat. 

The second idiot shouted explicatives at him. Hanzo just ducked a furious fist in response. He spun on his heel and swept his new opponent's legs out from under him. Hanzo hovered over the man his mask keeping his features hidden. He punched the man again and again. He said nothing through the screams, this was a message. That Inoe's sect of the Shimada were _not_ safe.

Hanzo stood and flexed his gloved fingers. Both men were groaning and rolling through their pain. Hanzo knelt and divested both of their guns and knives. He took the guns apart and stomped on the slides. The knives recieved similar treatment. Then he was scaling the alleyway walls and set out to find more of Inoe's men.

Once, the Shimada had carried themselves with pride. They were paragons of their communities. Protecting the locals from outsiders. They dealt with those who didn't pay their protection fees. They were respectful in everything they did. It wasn't about scaring the people into doing what the clan wanted. Never more than was needed, but always what was deserved.

Genji had never understood that. He'd thought they were always brutalizing those under their control. But if Genji had seen _this_... He would have seen how they had been kind in their punishments. It was all  inconsequential now, their sins were there all the same.

If Inoe wanted to run her neighborhoods like a foolish gang rather than a proper clan network...then Hanzo was going to make her a foolish oyabun. Hanzo caught four more groups in small enough numbers that attacking them was easy enough. Before dawn word was out, and the larger Shimada remnants were actively attacking Tatsu-Kai and visiting yakuza groups. There was almost a war breaking out in the streets, and he'd only been here two days.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo spent the morning napping before he dressed an another dark ensemble and escorted his two charges through their appointments. No one bothered them this time, but eyes were on them the entire time. If they had made his identity no one was doing anything about it, they had no idea who he was.

The evening was spent observing the various gang movements. They were no longer in small numbers. Smart, but still too weak to challenge him. Two groups of six were beaten into the ground with ease. Inoe wasn't keeping up with the strict training the Shimada had employed. This was of course what got the attention of the assassin now after him.

Hanzo took his path away from where he was sleeping. Yukari wouldn't be happy to find assassins crawling in her woodwork. Hanzo had yet to see the assassin, but he felt their keen gaze on his back. He settled on a rooftop and waited. The moment he heard movement Hanzo spun and shot a Sonic Arrow next to the roof access. A bloom of color alerted him to the assassin.

Hanzo lifted a Scatter next and aimed to the small space where his assassin was waiting. The arrow went off upon impact and Hanzo drew two regular arrows. One in place and the other ready. The assassin limped from the shadows, black clothing making their body indistinguishable. But the porcelain mask he knew. This was an assassin from Kyoto. Hanzo didn't know their name off hand, but they would have certainly made their name legendary if they killed him.

"I will give you one chance. Leave and I will not chase you. Stay and you forefit your life." Hanzo growled.

The assassin just lifted a sleek blade and dashed for him. Closing the distance was the only chance anyone had against him now. But this assassin was not skilled enough to be a challenge. Hanzo had no true weak points left to be exploited. He'd burned them away to get Genji's vengeance.

Hanzo shot his arrow at the ground between the assassin's feet. A feint. The shock was enough for Hanzo to capitalize on. Hanzo lunged in and swung his bow. The upper limb cracked across the mask shattering it. The face underneath was unknown to him. The best assassins were always invisible at any given time. Hanzo shot his elbow up and slammed it into the man's chin. He went down in an instant. Hanzo smoothly slammed his foot down and shot his next through the man's eye. Hanzo watched a second longer as the assassin died.

"Forgive me, but you were warned." Hanzo said.

Hanzo left his arrow there. The assassin's handler would find him and report on his manner of death. If Inoe had suspected him here enough to send the assassin, she would have her confirmation soon. If it had indeed been Inoe that sent the assassin.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo sat outside the room where Inoe had been escorted in. The girl's did their best to keep his presence a secret. Inoe's men were distracted easily enough. They were listening to the girl's play music and serve tea in banquet room down the hall. This would be a perfect opportunity to kill the witch, but Hanzo's oath was still present in his mind.

 _'I have lost my brother and my home, I will not lose what is left of my honor.'_ He told himself, his oath to Yukari kept him unarmed. He was only gathering intelligence.

"So Inoe-San, how goes your girls practice?" Yukari asked from within the room.

"Well enough, and yours? I've heard about the muggings." Inoe asked in a sugar sweet elderly way. Like she was the sweet grandmother her image presented.

"Oh, our Danna is taking care to make sure my girls get too and from. It wouldn't do for any of them to be attacked." Yukari was treading dangerous water with Inoe. She was a retired freelance assassin. If she came out of retirement it would bode I'll for this tea house. "So about the Odori?"

"Yes, the other houses have all prepared properly." Inoe intoned. "All of them have been bought by me. You are the last tea house in this neighborhood to not step under my banner."

"I see, this tea house is not for sale Inoe-San." Yukari said with a firm note to her voice.

"Everyone has a price Yuka-San." Inoe said with a snide tenor to her voice. "We just have to find yours."

"It would not help your cause to call me by a name dead to your world." Yukari volleyed. "Do not think to make me your enemy. This city would not survive it. And as I hear it, you have enough problems to deal with without pissing off another assassin."

Hanzo stood as he heard the women gather themselves. He passed into another hall and leaned against the corner. He watched Inoe step from the room and narrowed his gaze on her. His dragons reared back in his mind at the sight of her in bright colors not befitting her age or role now. 

"Think about who it is best to ally yourself with Yukari-San." Inoe said as she turned and shouted for her men. They piled out of the banquet room and in moments they were gone.

Yukari gave instructions for the evenings preparations before she walked down the hall towards him. She stopped next to him and looked down the dark hallway.  "Hanzo, kill that bitch swiftly. If she returns here after the Odori, you and I are going to have a problem."

"Inoe Sakura will not be seeing another day after the Odori." Hanzo said simply, "Her threats have no weight. The fear she's put into the other tea houses is just that. With her gone their independent status will return."

"Let us hope so, the Tatsu-Kai know better than to try and buy tea houses." Yukari snarled. "Her perverse ideas of what we do is insulting."

"Indeed." Hanzo snorted. "Thank you for keeping quiet about my identity."

"She knows you're here. But she won't dare send an assassin to my home." Yukari said. "If she does send one during the daytime, they won't attack while you're with the girls."

"That would be the second biggest mistake she could ever make." Hanzo said.

"The first?" Yukari asked.

"Making herself _my_ enemy." Hanzo replied and turned up the steps to his room. 

 

* * *

 

The Kanazawa Odori was the only event that brought together the three tea districts in the city. Silver Week brought forth a four day long event. All of Yukari's girls were busy at work training and practicing their performances. Hanzo kept up his nightly assaults, the Shimada forces were scared. Inoe it seemed, was unmoved to their continued failure. She underestimated Hanzo, she always had.

The days bled together, Hanzo assisted the girls where they needed it. Which led to him imbibing too much tea, watching too many dances he was seeing them while he slept, and listening to too much music he was humming the tunes under his breath. But much like with Megumi and the others in Tsushima, he was weak to their whims. New makeup was tested on him, they primped his hair, even polished his nails. As the new inhabitant they claimed it was initiation. Yukari just chuckled as she left him to his fate as a junior. 

The first day of the Odori came. Hanzo was not going to join the girls as they walked together to the performance house. He was instead going ahead to slip into the building and plan his next move. Interfering with the four day event would not garner him any appreciation. When he struck, it needed to be on the last day, after the Odori concluded.

So Hanzo drifted among the crowds as the geisha parade began. It wasn't so much a parade as it was just watching the different houses arrive. Three districts worth. The Geiko, followed by the Maiko in training were a beautiful spectacle. After the Crisis rich bits of traditional culture like this thrived. Life was not so much about the latest tech anymore. Hanzo thumbed the soft fabric of his white kyudo-gi. A mixture of old and new as well. 

Hanzo allowed himself to be overtaken by the crowd when Inoe's house arrived. She was actually walking among them like an empress meeting her subjects. Hanzo scowled but turned away, it was too easy to take her here. His escape was not fully planned yet. He also needed to track her to which of her holdings she was going to.

 _ **'Not yet,'**_ Udon told him.

Hanzo watched the woman from afar the entire day. And into the next. Each performance was stunning. Tea ceremony's completed to perfection. Dances performed to music played by the traditional musicians were captivating. Shows every few hours. He had many opportunities to strike. Like when she was alone in the halls behind the stage. Watching her girls, organizing nights with them for patrons. Besmirching their regal reputation.

 _ **'Not yet,'** _Ramen growled. 

He even waited that night, as he followed her to one of the Tea Houses she owned. He let his killing intent fill him, making his presence known without letting anyone see him. She noticed, so too did her guards. But he didn't act on it. Even when Storm Bow found her way into his hands, an arrow drawn and aimed for Inoe's head. He remembered the way she sneered at him. The way she'd giggled like she was forty years younger while he screamed in agony and starving horror. 

 _'Not yet,'_ Genji's voice breathed in the back of his mind. The haze of hate and murder faded like he'd been doused in cold water. That same driven haze had been his undoing, not allowing himself free thought. Only now it wasn't on the orders of others, it was his own desires ruling him. 

 _'Unnaceptable,'_ Hanzo told himself. He returned the arrow to his quiver and set out to police the gangs in the streets. They were wary, but arrogance always beat out caution. That's why they were low ranked in the yakuza before Hanzo decided to tear the whole thing down.

Hanzo returned to the tea house long before dawn. The girls twittered around him icing his knuckles and chiding the state of his clothing. _What ninja went out in white?_ Genji had, on the occasions where he'd worn his own traditional gear. No one had ever seen him much less Hanzo in orange or blue.

He didn't sleep that night. Instead Hanzo forced his mind to recenter. He meditated until his actions would only be for the mission. He would not allow himself to poison this quest with his own desires for revenge. This was for _Genji_ , his brother who was stolen by his own selfish deceitful hands. Atonement for his sin.

The next days were mechanical. He shadowed Inoe's movements. The appearances of her two granddaughters did not even phase him. Though when he was alone, waiting to go back into action, he drank the disgust away. Vomiting it all in a confusing haze of drunkenness and his crippling horror.

Hanzo couldn't look at himself in the mirror, seeing only the pathetic creature he'd been when he'd lost his legs. Or worse, the desperate broken man he'd been leading up to it. Broken and put back together like _this_. He was a shameful image of what his family had been. Worse even than Genji in his most rebellious moments towards the end. Instead of pissing away all of his money Hanzo had turned the fortune away entirely. Instead of sleeping with everything that came his way he'd been made into the Shimada's whore. Bought and paid for with Genji's blood.

But that rage that simmered in the deep recesses of his mind had no place here. So he buried it with the fear and hate he had for himself. Hanzo would not let things as ephemeral as emotions win again. Not when there were only three names left. Not when he was almost done.

So the last day of the festival came, the shows were an absolute hit. The districts were going to thrive after this. Hanzo dressed in the white kyudo-gi again. He stalked through the crowds as invisible as a specter. He avoided drawing too near, Inoe and her granddaughters were the center of attention when they were speaking with city officials. Worming her way back to the top.

Hanzo saw the horror in the Geiko's eyes as Inoe thinly veiled her discussions. Hanzo had his answers, these girls were being used as sex workers. A less experienced assassin might wonder how these proud women were forced into the roles of whores. A role they had been rumored to be for centuries, but never were. Hanzo was experienced though, and he knew their yukata covered a lot of skin. Makeup even more. Inoe was skilled in forcing others to do what she wanted. Even Hanzo. 

After tonight, Yukari would ensure these girls were safe. But Hanzo had to do his part to ensure it. The Shimada remnants would be swallowed by the Tatsu-Kai the moment Inoe was removed from the picture. So he lingered, watching from a distance. Then he trailed them to a car. Which was different to any other night so far; so Hanzo followed via taxi.

The vehicle drove out to a secluded estate property. Far more rich and quiet than the tea houses Inoe had been staying in. This was her family home. Hanzo was dropped off two streets away. He circled the property, making note of all the Shimada guards who used to patrol his own property.

Hanzo was going to have to wing this, it tasted wrong just thinking that. Hanzo vaulted the exterior wall and was up into the manor quickly. He skirted a guard and ran through the halls as silently as he could. He by accident found the garage, empty save for the three cars. Well, that was certainly unfortunate for Inoe.

Hanzo shot two arrows into the joints of the garage doors and jammed them. Hanzo kicked one of the cars viciously as he backpeddaled from the room. He slipped into a storage closet across the hall and watched a flood of guards rush into the garage. It was simple to hook his gloved fingers through the door handle and pull it closed. He jammed the mechanisms of the door lock just as quickly.There, he's isolated some of the guards.

Hanzo flexed his fingers on Storm Bow and moved through the winding halls. If he knew Inoe she'd picked the largest room to be her own. So that was where he headed. He didn't know this layout, the lack of knowledge grated on him. But he wasn't going to miss this final opportunity. He got lucky, the granddaughters left the master bedroom together.  Hanzo's skin crawled at the sight of them. All he could see was the way they'd looked on top of him. Faces lost in pleasure as if he had contributed to it. He'd been little better than a toy to be used. Hanzo gritted his teeth and pulled his hand away from his quiver. The arrows in his fingers slipped silently back into the quiver.

_'This is for Genji.'_ Hanzo reminded himself. He waited until they walked past his hiding spot. He waited a moment longer, forcefully slowing his heartbeat. Then he stepped out of the hallway. He smoothly lifted Storm Bow. A Sonic Arrow was shot into the wall and he saw a single bloom of red. Hanzo stalked forward and slid the door open. 

"What the hell are you two still-?!" Inoe whipped around from her vanity mirror. Long gray hair spilled thinly from her head. Her eyes widened and shock dragged her sagging skin into a pitiful expression. "Hanzo...so you did come."

"Of course I did, all of the attacks on your men up until now were a message." Hanzo said and closed the door behind him. He smoothly shot an arrow into the corner, keeping it shut. Hanzo took a step forward and Inoe scrambled for the vanity. Hanzo shot another arrow, it shattered the mirror. "No weapons, Sakura."

"You're angry," Inoe nodded and backed away. "I understand."

"Your could not _possibly_ understand." Hanzo growled. "I am not here to avenge myself."

"You're here because-..." Inoe's eyes blinked. "...because of your brother."

"This was always about my brother." Hanzo growled.

"I'm not trying to rebuild the Shimada Clan." Inoe lifted her hands placayingly. "You can just let me go and we forget everything that's happened."

"Forget?" Hanzo spoke low and dangerous.

 ** _'Foret that you used my master like a stud horse?!'_** Ramen snarled from the depths of Hanzo's mind.

 ** _'Forget that you hurt him?!'_ **Udon roared incensed.

"You've killed almost all of us, none of us have any real ties to the clan anymore. You saw to that in Osaka. There isn't any money left." Inoe backed up a step towards the secondary door. This one let out into a small interior garden. Surrounded on all sides by this manor. Waking out there was a death sentence for him. He'd be shot full of bullets the moment he followed her escape.  "Let's call it even, I'll even call off my assassins."

"I didn't firebomb the Hanamura and Tokyo holdings. I didn't kill the _first_ three elders. _My_ first target was Kanata, and the weapons shipment from Los Muertos and the reformed Deadlock. Hanajima and her trade connections. Junpei and Fukushi's holdings in Osaka are in Kuroda's hands now. All of my father's contacts in the government and police are either arrested or under investigation. You...and your attempt to take over a very neutral market for _respect_." Hanzo unfolded his tattooed hand. "Tsukasa and Tokomori next... Do you think any of that is equal to my brother's life to me?!"

"It should be! He was a traitor!" Inoe snarled. "His man Kenta _talked_ to Overwatch! He brought all of that mess upon us!"

Hanzo had suspected. The flighty behavior before their duel, his ardent refusal of anything clan related, to the point of verbally rebuking their relationship as brothers. It all made sense after the fact. It still didn't matter if it _was_ Genji, Kenta, or if Overwatch sent their black ops team independently. Hanzo had played the fool to the end, and in the end he'd lost his brother. His arrogance, his _weaknesses_ , were what cost him his brother's life.

"We brought this mess upon ourselves." Hanzo said coldly. He drew a Scatter Arrow from his quiver. "It's time you take responsibility for your role in it."

"And what of yours?!" She shrieked and stumbled back towards the door. Hanzo lifted his bow aiming pointedly and she froze.

"The dragons won't let me die for my sins. But hopefully an assassin will defeat me and I will finally pay for my crimes." Hanzo said as calmly as he could.

"Fuck you Hanzo!" She spat, "I won't die for a Shimada embarrassment like you or your brother! I am Inoe Sakura!"

She turned abandoning her self preservation. She tore the door open and his arrow hit the ground beneath her feet. The projectiles tore her legs apart, but her momentum pushed her just past their radius. Hanzo drew two arrows smoothly and shot one after the other as he approached the doorway. Inoe fell with a pained scream into the loose stone garden. The gravel rocks splashed around her as she fell. Each careful splay of rake designs were upset as she dragged herself through the garden. Two arrows stuck straight up from her shoulder and right kidney. Internal bleeding would finish her. But it wasn't enough.

Hanzo lifted his bow once more and he saw Genji before him. Slash marks decorating his face, his lower jaw bearing the brunt of a deep slice. His brother had looked fierce even in death, even when their gazes met and he knew Soba could not fend off both Udon and Ramen. There was more pride in the Shimada's shameful sparrow than in any of the elders circling like carrion feeders. Hanzo huffed and drew the last arrow he would use on her. He aimed pointedly and drew with his whole strength. The shot was powerful, it whistled as it flew for the delicate skin at the nape of her neck. The spinal nerve was severed in an instant. She gurgled, the arrow must be jutting from her neck on the other side.

Hanzo turned his back to the scene and yanked the arrow from the door.  Rushing footsteps met his ears and he smoothed his fingers over his tattoo. "Are you both ready to escape?"

_**'Yes Master.'**_   Udon rumbled.

 _ **'If the witches come, kill them.'**_ Ramen snarled angrily. Hanzo let their essence fill him, they crawled along his arm and wrapped around Storm Bow. Hanzo yanked the door open and drew his string back tight

 _ **"RYUU GA WAGA TEKI WO KURAU!"**_ He summoned them and they toe through the house and walls with ethereal twin roars. None of the guards in the hall survived. Hanzo dashed after their glowing blue tails circling. Ever together, protecting him and their escape.

They faded and he was on his own then. Hanzo was swift in his shots, brutal in his efficiency. But he still took his injuries. And by the time he'd cleared the property he was limping. A bullet had lodged in his prosthetic leg and while it hadn't pierced the body it had pushed against the ankle joint. The nerve ports were sending confused signals along his brain. Hanzo forced himself to run, taking alleyways and escaping out of the district. He noted, with some conflicted distaste, that Inoe's granddaughters had not fallen in the fight.


	24. Avoidance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo is avoiding so very much. Also Bargaining isn't exactly healthy...when it comes to Hanzo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys, it has been a busy few weeks. My kiddo's progressed in speech therapy and no longer does weekly appointments. On top of that my husband had vacation and we did family crap for about a week and a half. Woo! Family time!
> 
> Anyways, tackling more of Hanzo's grief and the last two names on his list. 
> 
> Tokomori Nagi  
> Tsukasa Renji
> 
> Also... A cameo of someone is coming up soon. It'll be interesting.

After Hanzo killed Inoe Sakura, he spent exactly two nights in Kanazawa. He let the tea house girls tend to his injuries, though he hated every second of it. He ignored Yukari when she tried to get him to stay. He figured his mental state must be showing if she was making such an offer. The tea house was serene, the atmosphere pretty much made to quiet an assassin's bothered mind. It was too tempting so he had to leave. 

Hanzo didn't go to Hanamura right away. Eyes would be on the city, waiting for him to come for Tokomori. Hanzo wasn't keen on getting shot again. He swapped his legs out for the darker pair that matched his yellow kyudo-gi. Then he sent the damaged set to the port just outside of Tsushima. With a text to Taro to pick them up, Hanzo left Kanazawa and traveled slow and easy from town to town. Staying in one location was risky now that there were assassins were on his tail. He could feel them watching and waiting.

The first came in the night, Hanzo had sequestered himself inside a dilapidated apartment block. He was alerted by the shifting of broken glass in the hallway outside the dank space he was holed up in. The assassin fought with a sword, and it brought up far too many thoughts of his last true battle with and against a sword.

Hanzo blacked out mid fight. Sometime between the assassin getting in closer and forcing Hanzo to block with Storm Bow. Udon and Ramen's influence took over with mystical roars and ancient power. He came to hovering over the assassin, fists bloodied and the assassin dead with his head beaten in. Hanzo looked at his hands for a long time before he cleared away all evidence of himself. After, he fled the town altogether. Hanzo had never disassociated like that before. He was shaken by the whole endeavor.

The next assassin came while Hanzo was waiting at a bus stop. It was deep in November, Hanzo was still gathering leads on Tsukasa and avoiding returning home. He was skirting Tokyo and debating on returning to Tsushima and conceding to everyone's Christmas demands. He'd endured one holiday season with them. Or rather, they'd endured one holiday season with him. Another wouldn't be so bad...even if he didn't deserve it. 

The assassin, a shooter this time pulled up on a motorcycle, hovering just off the surface of the street. She was slim, covered head to toe in black leather and a full helmet. A gun was swung up at him and Hanzo threw himself over the bench. He yanked his guitar case up and snatched Storm Bow and an arrow. He came up as the bike revved and the assassin twisted the bike in a semi circle. She was going to escape, she knew she'd failed in the initial rush.

Hanzo leveled his aim, drew back at full strength and loosed his shot. The biker was ripped off of the bike by her shoulder. Hanzo abandoned his gear and raced towards her. He snatched the gun away from her hands. Then he kicked a knife from her scrabbling. 

Hanzo grabbed the woman by her jacket and yanked her up as he towered over her. "Who sent you?!"

"Fuck you." She snapped. Hanzo smashed her body into the ground and aimed her gun at the helmet.

"You weren't well prepared at all." Hanzo growled. "You would have shot me from above if you were. Arrogance on your part, and incompetence on whoever hired you."

"Bastard!" She started to struggle but he just dropped her and planted his foot on her chest.  "I'm not the only one!"

"Of course not. Had you been intelligent, you would have worked with the others and split the profits." Hanzo growled and lifted the gun to the helmet visor. The retort shook up his arm three times. The struggles stopped and he was looking into a shattered visor. She had dark tan skin and almond eyes open in her death. Bleached hair had slipped around her face inside. Protection huh? The first bullet shattered the visor and the other two buried into the bridge of her nose. 

Hanzo tucked the gun into his pants and stalked from the bleeding body. He gathered his gear duffle and his guitar case. Storm Bow was returned and he sighed heavily. He then took control of the hovercycle. His gear bag he just pulled on as if it were a back pack. The guitar case, he had to attach with the cargo straps that were built into every bike now. He settled on the seat, revved the engine and sped away.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo spent Christmas sequestered in a shrine. There had been too many attempts on his life to risk checking into a hotel. Here he could hide in a deserted building and avoid the shrine staff. Shrines were generally neutral ground to the underground community. They hadn't been before the crisis according to Hanzo's father. But like all things, the cultural resurgence had boomed after the war. Assassins kept out of such places unless they were going as patrons. It was a sign of respect to their heritage. 

Hanzo indulged his sweet tooth with a strawberry cream cake he picked up from a bakery. He hid himself in a small outbuilding as the shrine staff settled in for Christmas night. Hanzo set Storm Bow out at the ready just in case. Inoe had set the bar on what the Shimada-Gumi would do now that they had been removed from power. He didn't trust neutral ground fully. With a small space heater running he was as settled as he could be.

Hanzo stewed in his memories. Exchanging gifts as a child with Genji. Christmas morning training had always been more of a free for all than it was serious. Their parents always joined in and it was always more fun. He and Genji fought over who got the biggest piece of cake. Which, as they got older, their dragons indulged in. The novelty of four ethereal dragons, including their father's, nibbling cake and icing and stealing strawberries would never get old.

Hanzo let Udon and Ramen indulge once more as he watched his phone's clock. Ticking down the moments that the day would come and he would remember he was alone. So _terribly_ alone. He could have returned to Tsushima, he'd been heavily tempted days before the holiday. With Taro and Megumi pushing rather hard for him to return. That day he'd caught a better assassin in the subway.

Hanzo had changed lines twice before he managed to get behind and then push the Shimada assassin onto the tracks. Daichi had looked up with surprise that Hanzo had found him. Then irritation that his job was cut short. His gun flew up and he might have succeeded, trapped in the crowd as Hanzo was. With the people panicked and trying to help Daichi off of the tracks, then running away at the sight of the gun, Hanzo was stuck in their wake. But the racing bullet train had settled the matter before Hanzo could be killed.

Hanzo smoothed his gloved hands over his face. In seconds he was weeping into his hands. It felt like he was back where he'd been before he lost his legs. Wild and untethered, smothered in his self hate and despair. Going back to Tsushima and letting the others there guide him through his own mental storm would be an easy remedy. But that was a crutch.

Udon and Ramen coiled across his lap and up around his torso before they grew in size. Hanzo found himself smothered in their glowing bodies and listening to their rumbling voices through the thick fog of his heart beat roaring in his ears. When he came back he reached out to smooth his fingers over their bodies as the poisonous emotions scorched him from inside.

"Will you let me kill myself?" Hanzo asked. It was getting to be too much, fighting against the death he desperately wished would come for him. "When it's done...will you let me honor Genji and avenge him fully?"

 _ **'No,'**_ Udon rumbled and his massive muzzle bumped Hanzo's chin.

 _ **'You must live.'**_ Ramen snuggled his hair. _**'We will live and suffer together for Genji and Soba.'**_

 _ **'It is painful.'** _Udon said and their gazes met. Dark brown to Udon's glittering blue/silver. The dragon had no idea how painful this was for Hanzo. He was struggling so hard not to break down. He needed to stay strong and finish killing the elders. He couldn't fathom living after this, he dreaded thinking about it at all.

 _ **'We have each other.'** _Ramen cooed, _**'We will share the burden together.'**_

 _ **'You will not die by your own hand.'**_ Udon said sternly. ' _ **It is the easy way out.'**_

Hanzo didn't want the easy way out, not truly. No, he wanted to honor his brother in the only way he knew how. If he couldn't take his life, he would never allow the Shimada to rise again. He would tear it down and after... _after_ he would try to live and atone. He pressed his forehead to Udon's nose and Ramen rubbed his jaw over Hanzo's head.

"Okay." Hanzo conceded to them. He could never go against their wishes again. Not after the duel with Genji and Soba. He had dishonored them as much as he had himself. Using them to murder their sister in the battle to murder his own sibling. "Okay."

 

* * *

 

New Years came and Hanzo managed to put himself back together enough to leave the shrine. He booked a bed in a capsule hotel. As inconspicuously as he could he slept there and was thankful for the sliding door that cut off his bed on the third level from the rest of the inhabitants. Listening to them all required work, but the effort needed to get to him specifically would draw attention.

It said something that the best sleep he'd gotten without alcohol was had in a cramped little bunk with industrial materials that could stop bullets. Though the owners didn't know the materials did that. His nightmares plagued him, but he wasn't willing to acknowledge them. Especially not the ones where he saw women above him, using him. He dwelled instead on the ones where he felt Genji's blood on him. It was less selfish to turn his attention to what he had done. What was done to him was not on part with his own deeds.

Unhealthy, but it was his method of coping. 

It was his third night in the capsule hotel when his phone's ringing woke him up. Hanzo startled so much he nearly jerked into shooting his bow. The sonic arrow instead just flopped out of his fingers and the string raked across his arm painfully. Hanzo hissed out a string of curses in various languages before he checked himself for bleeding. Thankfully there was none, just raw skin across his tattoo and two irritated dragons snarling at him for the offense.

Hanzo rolled to his back and fumbled for the phone tucked in next to his gear bag. He squinted at the screen and answered. "Taro... You had better have a good reason for calling me."

 _"I do, you sound like you were sleeping though. Sorry."_ Taro sounded contrite enough that Hanzo could forgive him. Hanzo sat up and turned on the dim lighting that ran around the ceiling of his capsule. Then he activated the video screen and pulled the headset off of the back of the phone. He tucked it into his ear and looked into the surly face of his friend. _"Oh shit, you really were sleeping."_

Hanzo reached up and realized his hair was frothed over his head in a wild mess. He glared at the phone and Taro smirked and ducked his head. Hanzo was not awake enough for this, he hadn't even had tea yet. "Taro, make it quick."

 _"Sorry, got word that Tokomori and Tsukasa are working together. They sent out a bunch of assassins. Heard you got six of them so far."_ Taro looked aside with a wry smirk. _"I can only assume the number is wrong."_

It was, truthfully it had been like ten so far. He was getting sloppy if they had found that many to be his. "I won't confirm or deny that."

 _"Hmm,"_ Taro scowled and huffed. _"I was consulted a few times, told them not to go after you. Suicide mission. Guess I got some real clout for bringing you in. I said I was in hiding so you couldn't find me."_

"It would have been the wise thing to do." Hanzo chuckled. "How many decided the contract wasn't for them?"

 _"Plenty, but the bounty went up."_ Taro sighed. _"You're number three in the world right now."_

"That's quite an accomplishment." Hanzo chuckled. 

 _"I guess, anyways...I got a tip from someone who took the contract. They didn't know they tipped me off though."_ Taro smirked. _"There's going to be a Kabuki Parade, scheduled for March in Hanamura."_

"Okay, are you trying to tell me there's a job there?" Hanzo rubbed his hand over his face and tried to calculate his funds. 

 _"I'm saying the guest of honor is going to be Tsukasa. And the story being told is that of the Shimada Dragon Brothers, and the formation of the Shimada Clan."_ Taro told him. Hanzo stilled as Taro's words burned across his mind. Fury ignited deep in his gut. 

"He has a lot of gall." Hanzo scowled angrily. 

 _"Yes, I think it's a trap to draw you in."_ Taro said. 

"Undoubtedly." Hanzo acknowledged. "Bastard."

 _"He's using Tokomori as a front, drawing the last remnants of the clan so they can re-establish. Tsukasa has a lot of power even despite your work so far. He's already gotten the other families to leave him alone to rebuild. Tokomori worked his way up, he's got the respect of the grunts."_ Taro said with a sigh.  _"There is a chance the other families will help him try to kill you. But they won't care one way or the other if you kill him."_

"Yeah." Hanzo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This changed things immensely. "My thanks, Taro."

 _"It's not going to be easy to take them at this event. They're both going to be there."_ Taro grumbled. 

"I will manage Taro." Hanzo said with a confident tone. He had two months to plan. If he did it right the next time he visited the castle, he could tell Genji's spirit that he was mostly avenged. That was his greatest desire, to put his brother to rest and honor him as was due.

 

* * *

 

Planning for the assassination ended up being much more involved than ever before. Even when he killed for the clan, and those could be as elaborate as his work in Osaka. This was close to that level of underground dealing. 

Hanzo bribed planning officials through proxy, and found out the event program. Much like an odori the Kabuki actors from all over Japan were coming to perform for the festival. They were going to fill the streets with short performances. The traditional aspects were going to be filtered in with updated tech on the shows themselves. Hanzo had seen shows like them over his years with his father. They were excellent, awe inspiring, and a deep touch of the counties heritage and history.

Putting on a show about the legend that carried the Shimada Clan into existence, and taking the seats of honor as the last surviving members of the clan, was an insult. A grave insult that rubbed hanzo all the wrong ways. But he wasn't going to reveal himself when he took their lives. His assassination was going to be public, a statement that the Shimada-Gumi were dead.

Hanzo saw the lists of actors, and with Megumi's hacking programs he saw the rehearsal footage himself. He studied the ordered costumes by breaking into the costuming houses. Hanzo walked the parade route, explored the pavillion that was going to be used for the large production. He planned, and planned down to the tiniest detail.

He traveled by subway for a number of cities to collect things he'd requested from Megumi. Until he had battle gear that matched the costumes of the performers, more precisely, background characters.  Hanzo then worked Storm Bow over to match. Black limbs, white shell over the center, and red woven string. The bow gleamed beautifully, and the entire ensemble made him look like the archery performers that hung in the back ground of a war scene of the Shimada Clan's main show.

Hanzo thumbed the bland arrow fletching in the depths of his current hide out in Hanamura. He'd moved a lot the past few weeks. Keeping heavily ahead of any assassins through sheer force of will. He settled the arrows in the quiver, he was as prepared as he could be. Two more names, just two left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The capsule Hotel is based loosely off of how the UZ Hostel in Taiwan looks. Just less open, more private, sealed pod doors.
> 
> BTW that place looks cool af. They advertised with Storm Troopers and Darth Vader. Like for real? That's bitchin.


	25. Kabuki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo finds he has some...competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I like the Kabuki skin lmao.
> 
>  
> 
> I would also like to apologize, I edit these chapters three times before I post. I know some spelling errors are getting through though. So I'm going to take a week or so to go through all of my work and clean it all up. There will be updates about that, thank you all for being patient.

Cherry blossoms were just growing buds when the parade day began. The air was chill, but inviting enough for the turn out Hanzo could hear outside his hideout. He listened to the excitement as he stared into the mirror of the bathroom as he shaved his beard off.

It wasn't comforting to feel his jaw free of facial hair again. All he could remember now was thin fingers tipped with sharp nails stroking his jaw. Making him look at feminine faces contorted in pleasure. Or people force feeding him, making him eat when he was just going to retch it back up. Feeling so drugged he couldn't control the drool that slipped down his bare cheek.

Hanzo came back to himself when his dragons wailed at him. Hanzo rubbed a shaking hand against his mouth as he choked back bike. It wasn't often he remembered without something setting it off. He avoided his torture at all costs. What a mental trigger a clean shave turned out to be.

Hanzo washed his face of any spare hair and patted his skin dry. He wound his hair up and chose not to tie it with a ribbon. As badly as he wished to. He picked up the paper bag settled on the floor and pulled free the expensive make up he was going to use to create his kumadori visage. The design was pre-set for all the actors. The style he was going to wear wasn't one he would have chosen, but he was going for anonymity.

Hanzo primed his face before he began the arduous process of putting the pale white over his skin. It was oddly therapeutic watching his face vanish under the white paint. He changed brushes to a blending sponge and smoothed it to look as if his skin truly was this white shade. He edged his hair line, coated his ears, and across his neck. Then he went along a longer process of blotting his tattoo out with the white. Shoulder to wrist. 

Hanzo selected the red make-up and a sleek brush. He looked at the red shade for a long time before he dipped the brush in. He should be painted in blue like a villain. But he was not painting for himself here. He traced the delicate lines of the design on his face. He traced out the patterns and then the matching ones that were to go on his arm. It was a Ni-Hon Guma pattern, a silent hero.

Silent he would be, but hero...he was the farthest thing from a hero.

Hanzo finished with the red under his bottom lip and looked into the mirror. Shimada Hanzo was no where to be seen. It was...disgustingly relieving to realize that. Hanzo swallowed thickly and sprayed his face with make-up sealant. He then packed his make-up supplies away.

Hanzo dressed in the simple clothing he would wear under the costume. He cleaned the apartment and got his gear and guitar case to the car he'd acquired. Hanzo settled in and drove to the alleyway just outside the parade grounds. This was his escape route. Hanzo exited the car and scanned for any cameras popping up. He was pleased to notice nothing had changed since he'd patrolled the night before.

Hanzo pulled his gear on. Disguising his feet with tabi sandals. Armor fit over the prosthetics and across his torso and arms. Hanzo dressed meticulously in the costume clothing that was very much real gear. Megumi and Keito had outdone themselves.

Storm Bow was the only problem, while she was colored properly to match his clothing, there were no other bows like her. Hanzo kept the bow over his shoulder like a prop. Then he secured the hat that would obscure him further. By the time he was finished the streets had filled with people and performers dressed like he was. 

Hanzo slipped out into the crowd as just another performer and chose his station from an empty space on the planning map. Here he had clean sight lines to the street leading to the pavillion. Hanzo posed for pictures, and was just another face in the flock of actors all over. They were all here to be a novelty for the civilians. The amount of people made him axious, but he was not so paranoid as to give himself away. He made note of former Shimada men slinking into the crowds as discreete security. Strangely enough they were on edge but they didn't seem to have anything to look for. Hanzo might have regarded that as a non factor, until he noticed an assassin.

The assassin was dressed as an Oni. Mask fastoned to his face, black garb simple as if he were just a background charater to another play about demons. There were to be numerous plays in the various performance houses reserved for the day. The attire wasn't what caught his attention at all, this assassin fit right in. It was the way he walked that even drew Hanzo's notice. Actors were quick on their feet because they were used to dances and rehersals. This was no actor, the way he moved was with precise and silent intent. A gait that spoke of stealth and purpose, the way a warrior walked. 

Hanzo ducked his head down and posed once more as the figure froze and turned. He would not give himself away, it was too much to hope there was no other competition. Perhaps his targets were not shared, but Hanzo did not believe in coincidences anymore. Either Hanzo's targets were shared, or he was the target. Hanzo was even more grateful for the face paint and that he knew where all the camera's were. No one was going to pick him out of facial recognition. The plan would remain the same, he would just have to be more vigilant.

Hanzo turned his head as large drums were beat to gather attention. The streets were lined and cleared to make way for the parade floats. Hanzo slipped among the crowd and left his first post. He replaced himself near more performers dressed as he was. He smiled and greeted them as if he were just from another performance troop. They joined together and posed for more pictures. Now they had music and someone telling a story about brave and virtuous warriors setting off into battle for their lord. Hanzo had watched this particular story. Prepared himself to fit along them accordingly. 

As it was wrapping up he saw the assassin again, crossing the street and Hanzo spied a sword at his back. It looked for all intents and purposes to be a prop. But Hanzo could see it had weight in the way it's band dug into the fabric of a broad shoulder. Hanzo narrowed his gaze and turned his stare down just as the Oni turned and looked over the crowd no doubt sensing his regard. Perhaps Hanzo was the target, there was still time before he needed to reach his next location. 

Hanzo slipped among the crowd, pleased to see there were numerous others dressed as he was. Steadily making their way to the pavillion as the parade started. The big name actors and celebrity guests were riding the various floats. On some small poems were acted out to music and drawling voices. Drum beats marking each exaggerated movement. Hanzo turned away from it and did everything he could to erase his presence as he tailed the Oni assassin. If he was a competitor Hanzo needed to know, and if the assassin was after him he wished to remove the threat entirely. 

An alleyway behind a sushi shop was where the Oni assassin turned to. Hanzo scaled the building with ease to the second level. He stayed within the fire escape bars and crouched to take advantage of the shade. Despite his red and white clothing he knew he was invisible up here with enough gray and black metal to obscure him.

"Have you seen your target?" A dark voice asked below and Hanzo peered down. The Oni assassin stood before a hover van. A man stood there in dark, state of the art, armor with his arms crossed. "These are the last two Shimada Elders?" 

The Oni assassin nodded. 

"Well, think you can get close?" The gruff man asked and adjusted his stance. The Oni tilted his head. "Damn kid, I know you got a grudge and all, this was the deal..." 

The Oni assassin stiffened and tipped his head back to a stern stance. 

"Yeah, I know it's your deal. We helped out with all the other shit...but this..." The man huffed. "You could get killed going in there alone. At least let me send Jesse with you." 

The Oni assassin shook their head again. Hanzo scowled, who was in charge of this operation? Teams were not unheard of, but this assassin had done preliminary surveillance alone? And was now reporting to a team? Another man climbed from inside the van he noticed a logo on their armor. The Oni waved a hand and turned, he was gone in a flash. 

"Fuck, keep in contact with him." The armored man ordered. 

"Yes Sir. Also, there's a call for you. Strike Commander wants to know why we've deviated to Japan again." The other man said, "After last time..." 

"Yeah, fuck... he doesn't get to decide what Blackwatch does and doesn't do. Our misson isn't for two more days. A detour for today isn't..." The man looked up back to where the Oni assassin walked off to. "It's not a bad thing to wipe more of these yakuza fucks off the map." 

"Yes Sir." 

Hanzo had seen enough and he had his answer. Overwatch had returned, most likely for Tsukasa and Tokomori. Hanzo would not allow anyone else to take their lives. He'd been late to the game already and lost three elders to their organization already. He wasn't sure if they had exacted vengence in Genji's name because his brother was their contact or not. Their influence had given him a baseline to work with. But this was Hanzo's quest, _he_ would be the one to kill Tsukasa and Tokomori. 

 

* * *

 

The parade was heralded with music and cheers. Hanzo snuck among the actors setting up inside the Pavillion. His disquise was working well in keeping him lumped in with other actors. Unnoticed and less important. He drifted among the masses and waited for his moment. The first play unfolded as the noon hour approached. And disgustingly it started with the story about the twin dragons. Hanzo gritted his teeth as a deep narrator voice told the story that was etched into his blood. 

 _ **'Ignore it.'**_ Udon urded.

 _ **'Find our targets.'**_ Ramen grounded his mind and Hanzo took the moment to slip out into the dark corridor that let up to the upper level of the Pavillion. Hanzo kept it off sight as much as he can in the bright colors he was wearing.

Tsukasa was seated in the very center of the Pavillion in the VIP seats. At his side was Tokomori. Tokomori was not as old as Tsukasa, but he aged visibly since Hanzo had last seen him. Tokomori had been chosen by Sojiro to join the elders. Hanzo glared at them both and narrowed his gaze, he could clear the distance. Hanzo looked up at the placement of the sun and growled. It would glare across his bow and arrows. 

It was not the first time Hanzo would bide his time in what was essentially a sniper nest. He looked over the Pavillion, there was no sign of the Oni. Hanzo didn't like that one bit. He didn't want to risk being seen. Overwatch might be here for the Shimada Elders, but he was certain they would intervene if another assassin stepped in. Discovering that the assassin was the Shimada Heir himself would make Hanzo the prime target. Risking both elders getting away. Unacceptable. 

The Dragon's story wrapped up and a tight knot of anger unwound in his chest. They didn't have the right to put on this performance as if they represented the Shimada bloodline. They didn't have the right when they had turned him into the dragon that struck down his own brother. Only there was no happy ending for Hanzo. _His_ brother had been decimated by the dragons.

Genji was _not_ coming back. 

The sun finally shifted and cloud cover rolled in. Just as predicted and right on time. Hanzo pulled Storm Bow from his shoulder and drew an arrow. He knelt and drew back, his hand quaked as he aimed ahead and lined it up. He had to pick a target Tsukasa or Tokomori. Hanzo sighed and ticked his aim upwards to clear the distance and cut through the wind.

Just as Hanzo released the arrow a shout rang from below. Hanzo jerked to look and two guards had erupted from behind the two elders. Hardlight shields lifted as the Oni assassin flashed out of the crowd at them with incredible speed. His body was accented in glowing red from the gear he was wearing. Fuck! Hanzo had been too slow!

The assassin was held back despite his skill. He couldn't get past the shields in a blind rush like that. But then he did something interesting. He ran up the shield and used the edge to give him a foothold to dash past the guards towards the escaping elders. Chaos erupted from the Pavillion and Hanzo lost sight of both elders and the Oni assassin.

Hanzo growled as he raced along the ramparts along the top of the Pavillion. They would have been spirited away already. Towards the back streets where their cars were no doubt waiting. Hanzo needed to get there first. Hanzo spied a tree surrounding the public grounds and threw himself into it. He caught a branch and started his descent swiftly. He reached the ground and raced towards the exit location he knew thanks to memorization. The road came up, flooding from two sides of the Pavillion. Hanzo ran for a building and slung Storm Bow over his shoulder to scramble expertly to the rooftop.

He had just reached the top when he saw the two cars speeding around the crowds. Then he saw the van and with a red blur the Oni assassin climbed the edge of the speeding vehicle to its roof. Hanzo cursed in three different languages as he ran the rooftops trying to find an optimal point to converge on. A vehicle chase was a poor way for this to go. The police would get dragged into it soon. 

Hanzo growled in annoyance, this whole operation had gone south. He needed to change the tides. And that involved either letting the elders go, or taking them both out at once. Hanzo snarled and adjusted course. Moving fast across Hanamura's rooftops. He knew their exit route, it was as simple as hitting the hyperway. They could just anyone up there. So Hanzo reached the point just before the other cars.

He jerked three scatter arrows and activated all three before he shot with pinpoint precision. All three arrows pierced the hover wells on the side of one of the vehicles. It shorted the hover tech and shredded the engine. The damage and the speed caused the car to lose control. It careened to the side of the ramp and rolled.

Hanzo ran for the edge of the rooftop and leapt for the lamp post. From there he gained a foothold and launched himself for the other elder's car. He slammed into the roof and only the arrow he jammed into the rooftop kept him from careening off the side. Hanzo looked back to see the Oni assassin was crouched on the van that was chasing them. 

Hanzo got his feet under him as the car raced up the ramp. He had to stop this here. He slid down to the windshield and kneed the glass. Wind ripped his costume hat clean off and Hanzo snarled down at the Shimada driver who was shrieking in panic. The car twisted to the side and bounced right into, and then over, the protective railing. Hanzo let the change in momentum take him off the vehicle. He rolled down the cement as the car bounced and rolled violently below him.

Hanzo gained his feet and cursed when he saw his arm had been scraped raw from the roll. Udon and Ramen growled angrily at him, but they were refocusing quickly. Hanzo looked back one more time to see the assassin had frozen on the ramp with the other vehicle. Hanzo tipped his head back and his hair fell around his head. The tie and pins couldn't hold up to a car wreck it seemed. Hopefully he had proven this was _his_ hunt. This was his kill, and he would fight for it if need be.

Hanzo turned his back and reached to take stock of his arrows. They had survived the fall. He drew one and ran for the wreckage. He was going to have a hard time escaping. But this was it, the last two to be killed. Then Genji could rest peacefully...or as peacefully as he could with Hanzo still alive.

Hanzo scaled the undercarriage of the first car and yanked the car door open. Inside Tokomori had his gun out and pointed at him. The old man glared with malice. "I knew you would come Hanzo."

"Of course I would. You set this trap up for me after all." Hanzo sneered. "Do you think I go around painted like this for nothing?"

"You failed." Tokomori chuckled. He was bleeding from his salt and pepper hair,  head wound, he might be concussed. One arm was limp, dislocated.

"I haven't failed this mission." Hanzo angled his bow and looked down. "Things just didn't go as planned. There was...competition. But you'll fall here for your part in my brother's death."

"Fuck you!" Tokomori laughed. "Your little hideaway was found. All those people your trying to protect. They'll be dead by morning. And you're here!"

A spear of panic hit him in the chest. Hanzo ripped his gaze up and looked at the other car. Of course they found out! Why wouldn't they have found a secluded place untouched by the yakuza?! Hanzo glared into the car once more and drew his aim. The gun went off and the shot bounced from the armor he was wearing. It gave him the time he needed to aim and shoot. His arrow pierced the elder in the eye, nearly all the way to the fetching. He struggled for a moment, so Hanzo's next arrow ended up in the man's jugular. 

Hanzo jumped from the side of the car. He looked longingly at the other. Tsukasa was in there, probably still alive. But Tokomori's words sent true panic through him. They couldn't be in danger, there were four samurai on the island to protect them. Hanzo's mind spiraled as he took a step towards Tsukasa's car. There hadn't been as many Shimada in the parade or on the grounds. He'd expected far more. There weren't even that many of the other families that ringed Hanamura. Where were the rest of the yakuza? 

Hanzo clenched his fists in fury. This was Tsukasa's doing. Even if Hanzo had succeeded they had already launched their retaliation. Hanzo turned his back to the car and looked up at the ramp where the Oni assassin was struggling against the Blackwatch operatives. Sirens were going off as the police finally caught up.

Hanzo ran for the alleyway nearest to him. He had to get to Tsushima. To do that he needed to get back to the Pavillion where his car was. Other assassins, the last elder...both were far from his mind. Only the images of the people who had saved him hovered there. So he ran, he dodged people, and he pulled every trick he knew to be as evasive as possible. His awkward, pushy, not-family needed him. 


	26. Importance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo defends some people who are important to him.

The ride from Hanamura to the port that would ferry him to Tsushima was long. With it being barely four hours he raced faster than the hover speed laws allowed. Only his skillful notice of speed detectors kept him going. He stopped only once on the way. And that was to tear out of his kabuki costume. He supplemented it with his yellow and black gear.

Upon getting back into the car and letting it take over the route with the smart gps he dismantled Storm Bow. He didn't want to link Tokomori's death by kabuki performer to Tsushima. It took an immense amount of his dragons' influence to do this much without losing his mind. Thankfully he could travel hands free to get ready.

Hanzo stowed all of his remaining gear in the car after he parked on the ferry. He carried only one bag with his spare arrows and kept Storm bow and the quiver inside it. The ferry ride was even worse for him, taking far too long to get underway. His anxiety and paranoia getting stronger and threatening to drown him.

Hanzo called everyone, receiving nothing from each phone he tried to reach. Hanzo gritted his teeth in fury. They could all be dead already. Hanzo stirred from his place against his car. Shouting was going on the otherside of the deck. Hanzo got up and walked over to look.

His eyes widened when he saw in the distance that the island was glowing with fire in places. Hanzo gaped and looked around to try and figure out where on the massive island the fire was. The ferry workers were yelling into a radio. They would stop and contact the coast patrol and radio the island first. He didn't have time for that.

A roar came over the air and Hanzo spied a speed boat racing towards the ferry. Hanzo's gaze narrowed on the suits they wore. They were not Tsushima residents escaping. These men were coming for him, knowing he was on his way. Hanzo growled and slung the bag over his shoulders. He ran for the edge of the ferry ramp and vaulted into the air. His lunge threw him right onto the raised edge of the speed boat. He skidded along the bow right to the open cabin. 

The first assailent was thrown over his shoulder and into the water as soon as he gained his feet. Hanzo stomped for the driver and dodged a punch flung at him. The driver yanked the wheel and they toppled into each other from the momentum. Hanzo shoved the driver into the water and twisted the wheel again to even the vessel out. The moment he gained his balance he swirled the boat back towards Tsushima and shoved it to full speed.

He docked in Hitakatsu port. He needed to get to Kamitsushimamachi Sasuna. Which was a fifteen to twenty minutes drive away. Which Hanzo couldn't do since his car was back on the ferry. Hanzo cursed and ran into the town. They weren't panicking yet, that was good, which meant the fire hadn't started too long ago. And the forest was lush with new life. Still wet and not a prime fire spreader. But if accelerant was used, it wouldn't take much to push it further.

Hanzo picked a large van at random and rammed his armored fist into it. He tore the door open and set to hot wiring the electronics. All Hover Vehicles could be hot wired, if one knew how to manipulate the cords and microchip boards. In seconds it was powering up and the hover wells were starting to glow with energy rather than idle hovering stasis. 

He peeled off with the promise of coming back to repay the owner. But he was already aiming for the route that would take him to Sasuna. He needed to get to the town even if it meant driving past the road that would lead him to Mujin, Kano, and Megumi. The civilians came first, to all of them. They only had Taro and Kirai to defend them if the Samurai were busy. He had no idea if all of the Samurai were here  on the island. If they were they would be busy fighting, so it would be up to Taro and Kirai to get the Kurosawa family to safety.

Hanzo lifted his phone again and dialed Rin. Voicemail. Taro, not active. Mujin, no voicemail. Hanzo snarled and hurled the phone to the floorboards. He pressed his foot down violently. Moments later as he turned to head out through the forest bordered road the phone shrieked to life. Hanzo reached for it and answered with his heart in his throat. 

 _"Hanzo!"_ Megumi yelled into the phone.

"Megumi, are you okay?!" Hanzo demanded.

 _"There's fucking yakuza all over the island. Keito and his parents are already in hiding with the Samurai."_ She told him, screaming came from the background, then furious cursing. _"Are you here?"_

"I am. Where are you? Is Rin with you?!" Hanzo demanded.

 _"I'm with Kano. Dad and Rin are back at the house."_ Megumi said. _"Taro and Kirai are just outside, we were going to head back to the house to get dad and Rin."_

"Don't do that, I'll go there. Are you safe?" Hanzo asked.

 _"I mean, it's Taro and Kirai."_ Megumi said back and if it went for the tension he could hear in her voice, he might have believed her humor. But he heard it and knew she was worried the people she cared about were going to get hurt. _"We're going to meet up with Keito family. We're driving south to another safe house. But dad and Rin-..."_

"You get to the other samurai. Taro and Kirai will get you there. With Kano covering you as well you can do it. I'll get your father and Rin." Hanzo assured the girl. "Keep your phone active so that I can reach you. Let Taro lead, he'll help you all dissappear."

Hanzo got her agreement and hung up. He floored it again and cut the time down knowing he didn't have to drive right _into_ Sasuna. Instead he looked for his turn off and shot right up the road leading to his home. So far the fire was in the forest between the hidden property, and Sasuna. He worried it might have spread to the grounds.

He didn't drive further than half way up the drive before he was unfolding Storm Bow and equipping his quiver with more arrows than he usually carried. Hanzo was out of the van and racing into the shadows of the twilight. He could hear yelling as he raced towards the property.

It took a lot of restraint to avoid running right into the sight of his enemies. A yakuza omnic was thrown out of Megumi's workshop with a screwdriver in it's eye sensor. There was a number men and omnics loitering and tearing the other houses apart. Hanzo scowled and shifted through the forest in a ring to the secret hatch hidden for a quick escape. Hanzo had one real impressed opinion about this family, they were ready to run at any moment.

Hanzo unlocked the hatch and raced through the small tunnel to where the floor hatch was. Hanzo knocked a few times and shoved it up. There was a sword pointed down at him instantly. Rin huffed or a breath and sighed as his grip slackened. "Fuck kid."

"What happened?" Hanzo climbed up and took in the state of the room. Mujin was lying on the examination table but he didn't look hurt.

"They came a few ehours ago. Keigo called when Nishi and Sato engaged a group of yakuza in the street outside their store." Mujin said as he fiddled with a long segmented piece of equipment. "They got everyone out, Kano took Megumi and ran. Taro and Kirai met with them on the road. They're all heading to the safe house."

"Why are you still here?" Hanzo asked as he edged towards the genkan to look out. The attackers were awkward and trying to decide if rushing was worth it.

"I had to get rid of the sensitive research materials." Mujin said, "That...and the wheelchair won't fit in the hatch."

Rin looked incensed and rubbed a hand over his grizzled face. "He won't let me carry him. So I've been cutting them down before they could get inside. Pretty sure they've ransacked the other houses."

"It won't matter, the forest is on fire. The hatch won't be a viable escape soon." Hanzo huffed. "The best bet will be the road leading here, my vehicle is down there."

"Then that's our escape." Mujin said with a nod. "Rin was Watanabe coming back?"

"He was on a job, he'll have heard from Sato by now." Rin growled, "He'll probably be here by dawn."

"Do we need to leave the island?" Mujin asked. It took Hanzo a moment until he realized the question was directed at him. Hanzo startled when he realized that focus was on him to decide that avenue.

Hanzo looked around the large one room house that Megumi worked in. All of her equipment and projects were here. Mujin and Kano had brought it all here for her. Surrounding them with the last Samurai, they had known true safety. It was remarkable they were all still alive with so many assassins and gangsters storming the island.

Hanzo scowled and rubbed his forehead. This place was compromised. But Keigo and his family had opened a shop here. They were building roots, roots they all needed. Hanzo needed to make this island neutral ground. He gritted his teeth and pulled his phone from his quiver. He dialed Megumi again.

 _"Hanzo?!"_ She answered anxiously.

"I'm here, I found your father and Rin. They're fine, I need you to hand the phone to Taro." Hanzo spoke to her.

 _"Hanzo?"_ Taro took the phone and huffed. _"You alright?"_

"I'm fine, everyone seems to be fine. We'll done for staying alive and unhurt, thank you Taro." Hanzo said and looked back outside. The gathered yakuza were talking amongst themselves. "I'm looking at some men from the Rokudo-Kai, Tsubasa-Gumi, and Nagasaki-Kai. I can't imagine any more willing to work with Tsukasa and Tokomori. I need you to get me an audience with the men in charge of this operation. I want to talk to their bosses."

 _"That's fucking suicide. They came to kill us."_ Taro snarled.

"There's three Samurai here in the island." Hanzo answered. "Samurai are respected, even by us criminals. If they kill one the government will turn on them. War heroes are protected, even if they didn't want this island noticed. With the task force pushing back, none of the families will risk losing their government contacts."

 _"I don't think they want the government to know they're here Hanzo."_ Taro warned.

"This is their home Taro, and I brought this mess here." Hanzo said with a forlorn sigh. "This is extenuating circumstances. Contact our yakuza contacts. I want Tsushima to be neutral ground."

 _"Fuck, that means you can't kill any of them until I talk to them."_ Taro groused with the tone that told Hanzo he was raking his hand through his hair.

"I won't." Hanzo assured, "Get it done."

 _"Shit, shit, shit."_ Taro cursed. _"This isn't what I meant when I said I wanted to help."_

"Too bad then." Hanzo hung up and looked at Rin and Mujin. "I'm sorry, I know you wanted to hide. You might have to expose yourself to the government to take away any leverage these Kumicho think they might have knowing your all here."

"Doesn't matter, living is more important." Mujin said and sat the segments down. "I didn't want them to try and get me to go back. There's prosthetics they would want me to use. I denied them before I retired."

"You won't have to if you don't want to." Rin growled. 

"I-... I'm better for my family like this." Mujin fisted his hands and levered to a sitting position. "Thank you for coming Hanzo."

Hanzo wanted to reassure the man. But his emotional state was all over the place. He couldn't relate to the way Mujin was living his life, but he understood. Mujin had served his country, a country that had abandoned his unit to the omnics. He lived with a spinal injury that could be healed with advanced nano tech and prosthetics, but wasn't. Mujin and his last few Samurai _chose_ obscurity. There was much to learn from that desire for safety and solitude. 

The phone rang once more and Hanzo answered. "Taro?" 

 _"They said they were going to take their chances. Killing you will determine the next big family to hold the country. Tokomori is dead. But Tsukasa is reported crop be in critical condition. It's just you as the last Shimada."_ Taro explained with an irritated voice.

Hanzo lifted the phone skyward before he kicked a table viciously. Udon and Ramen bubbled in his mind with protective rage. He took a long moment to burn in it before he squared his shoulders and straightened.  "Taro... How many more are there?" 

 _"According to Megumi's drones...just the ones at the workshop with you. And the two squads coming for us from the store and my place."_ Taro reported. _"The authorities are distracted by the fire."_

"Kill them all." Hanzo ordered. 

 _"Wait...you want me to-?!"_ Taro sputtered. Next to Genji's and himself, Taro had been among the best of their clan. There was a reason he was sent after Hanzo, and it was more than just their past. _"You serious?"_

"Call the Samurai to you to protect everyone. Take those squads out. When they report and you get the call, tell them they can meet me at the port or we hunt them." Hanzo hung up again. 

He inhaled deeply and sat the phone next to Mujin. He closed his eyes and Mujin grasped his forearm. His muscles bunched at the touch, and he opened his eyes to look at the man who had taken him in. They had damn near adopted him, as tainted and broken as he was. They had all wormed their way deep into his heart, cementing themselves into places of importance. Places he thought long gone with his brother dead. Hanzo could not let them die for his actions.

Hanzo pulled free and Mujin's eyes darkened with knowledge. "Hanzo, you're...you're hurting yourself for us."

"It is not hurting..." Hanzo rolled his shoulders and his dragons stirred back to attention. They readied for battle as his blood burned with anticipation. "I am only protecting you all from my own mess."

"Hanzo..." Mujin sighed. "I would fight with you-" 

"I know you would." Hanzo hard that most of all. He was not deserving of their regard. He was not worthy of the honor of fighting with Samurai. "But you will both stay here and be safe. This is not a fight for honor. I'm going to dirty this soil with my anger. Then I'm going to do something only an Oyabun can. I'm going to create neutral space and broker deals that will keep you all safe."

"Kid-..." Rin started and gripped his katana in cold fury. "If you think I'm letting you do this alone -!"

"I _will_ be doing it alone." Hanzo said clearly. He turned and started for the door. "Stay here and defend Mujin. Answer when Taro calls, it will mean he's finished."

With those being the last words Hanzo drew a Sonic Arrow and shot it out the doorway. The blooms of red cemented his approach. He took a few arrows into his hand and ran for the doorway. He rolled out and lifted his bow. The first arrow took one of the men clean of his feet by his chest. Three to his left were dispatched by a scatter arrow. Hanzo got to his feet and swung the bow as he rose. The omnic running at him with a katana was upended. Hanzo stomped his heel on the mechanical jaw and broke it clean off. He jerked his arms up on instinct and drew and fired arrow after arrow with precision shots. Body after body fell. It was over in seconds and he'd claimed the grounds once more. 

"Hanzo!" Rin yelled as he came outside with Mujin hanging on his back. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

Hanzo nodded and returned to take the wheelchair from its folded place in the genkan.  A few bullet holes were in the seat. He led the way to the car with sharp eyes. Rin and Mujin ensconced in the vehicle he took the passenger seat and let Rin steer them towards the rest of their family. 

 They skirted the emergency workers along the long roads. All working to contain the fire. Hanzo gritted his teeth at such wanton destruction. It was spring, the life here was just returning after winter. And now it was ash. He wasn't sure of it had consumed any of the remote properties where some of the islands inhabitants lived. Not everyone liked living in the towns.

Hanzo rubbed his face as they drove. Then the phone shrieked in the back, Mujin fumbled to answer. "Taro?!"

Hanzo held out his hand and when Mujin slumped in relief the phone was passed. _"It's done. There's a group holed up near us though. Last ones, I thought you might like to get your message across yourself."_

"Thank you Taro." Hanzo said honestly.

 _"Hmm, I've gotten rusty. Think I'll have to start training again. If stupid fucks like these are gonna show up uninvited."_ Taro grunted like he was kicking something, probably a body. _"You want me to go in first?"_

"When I get there." Hanzo answered. He relayed the address and Rin headed for the southern straight that cut the island into two. They arrived to a quiet stretch of town where bodies were littering the street. Hanzo spied the Samurai lingering in the shadows. Taro sauntered from an empty storefront, he was covered in blood and carried a sword lazily propped on his shoulder. He looked very much the retired man Hanzo had asked him to be. His longsleeve shirt hugged him tight under his shoulder holsters. A pair of guns tucked inside each one.

"Yo boss." Taro smirked as Hanzo climbed from the van and started for his friend. His glare at that name only seemed to make Taro smirk wider. 

"Where?" Hanzo asked and Taro inclined his head. Hanzo nodded and walked to the storefront first. The moment he looked inside, Megumi was rushing him. Keito, Machiko, and Michiko followed. All of them latching themselves to his torso. He noticed they all sported faded shades of color. They truly hadn't expected him or they each would have dyed their hair to fresh brightness. Their endless regard burned in his chest, he was sure that beneath the shame he would have been amused and honored. 

"Tch, I do all the work and you get all the credit. I remember why I retired." Taro bitched but turned a wry smirk at Hanzo to show he was only teasing. Hanzo rolled his eyes and looked to where Kano and Kirai were getting up. Near them were Keigo and Minami.

"I'm sorry I was late." Hanzo said, he heard the creak of wheels and Kano was stepping swiftly to his husband. Megumi detached from Hanzo to rush her father. "I will take care of this, I swore you wouldn't have to deal with my problems every again. I'm sorry, I've broken my word."

"Can't help it if they won't let you out boy." Keigo huffed. "Do we need to leave again?"

"No, I will make it so that you are all safe from another attack." Hanzo vowed. "This time my word will not be broken."

He ushered the three Kurosawa children back to the space they had carved out of the dilapidated building. That done he turned and nodded to Mujin and Kano. Taro cupped his wife's cheek before he turned to follow Hanzo back outside. Rin stood there with the two other Samurai who were on the island.

Takano Nishi was a stoic man with long black hair that was just starting to streak with gray. He had pulled it up to cascade behind him. His armor was a pale blue beneath his loose haori. He wore two katana at his hip. 

Koichi Sato was a large man, his armor coating him in a dark green. His kimono was short, lashed around his armored legs and dangling from his waist. He held a massive naginata that truly defied comprehension. The crushed asphalt was no doubt due to him.

The missing Samurai, Watanabe Shin was away for work. He usually wore yellow when he wore his armor. Hanzo knew he fought with a Nodachi. He had short hair and a neat beard. He was also the only one of them that regularly left the island to work for the government in secret, other than Rin. He was also the only one everyone still called by his family name. He was very proper. 

Rin wasn't even their leader, but he'd taken the role when Mujin had to leave service due to his injury. Rin wore his usual dark red kimono and looked over at Hanzo seriously. "They sequestered the last ones in there."

"Thank you all." Hanzo bowed deeply. "I offer you my humblest apologies. It was not my intention to put any of you in danger. I will set this right."

"Ah!" Sato waved a large gloved hand. "It's good to excersise."

"Why is it that we're always being joined by a Shimada. Perhaps they should have joined the Samurai themselves." Nishi chuckled and waked over. He swiped the canteen from Hanzo's belt. "I need a drink after all this shit."

"Watanabe will be upset he missed all the fun." Sato chuckled. They headed for the store and greeted their charges with boisterous laughter.

"You gonna make me sit back again boy?" Rin asked with an annoyed brow lifted.

"I can no more control you than you can me." Hanzo smirked at the older man.

"So, what are you gonna do to them?" Rin asked even as his shoulders relaxed.

"I'll kill all but one." Hanzo answered and started for the old restaurant. He nodded to Taro who kicked the door in viciously. They ducked out of sight as gun fire rained through the doorway. Hanzo sighed and darted out of cover to shoot a Scatter blindly into the building. It was paired with a Sonic so as the Scatter distracted the inhabitants he got a clean sight of how many were inside.

"Six left," Hanzo told Taro, "Snatch one."

Taro smirked and rushed in before they could gather their wits. He returned with a young gangster who kicked and fought. Taro flung him into the street. Hanzo drew back a regular arrow and his dragons roared to life.these people were theirs to protect.  _**"RYUU GA WAGE TEKI WO KARAU!"**_

Udon and Soba burst from him and roared through the restaurant in a blazing blue path that followed his loosed arrow. He felt the lives inside snuff out as his dragons took their vengeance for this attack on their safe haven. He turned as his dragons evaporated on their return. The last remaining attacker, young and probably on his first real job, fainted at the sight of him. 


	27. Could Have Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hanzo makes a deal, and finishes what he started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long guys. I wrote two chapters, looked at the word count of this thing, and decided to break it up. Then I had ideas for an interlude. Like a one shot. I'll be plopping that in the series. Lol

"You think they'll come?" Taro asked as Hanzo settled on the roof of the van over looking the port. Rin had remained with everyone for protection should this meeting go wrong. Hanzo and Taro had set about cleaning up the bodies. No sense in letting the authorities get wise to the battle that had taken place under their noses.

Taro lit a cigarette and Hanzo reached down to snatch it. It wasn't often Hanzo smoked, and it was always after something stressful and gory like clean up. Besides, Nishi had stolen his plum wine, he needed at least one vice to stomach what came next. He settled the filter between his lips and inhaled the prickly smoke. The intake rushed through him and soothed the hot acid inside his cgestt with cool menthol. Filthy habit all the same.

"They'll come." Hanzo said as he blew smoke from his mouth and nose simultaneously. "We murdered most of their forces, any who escaped us ran back to relay the story."

"So, how fucked are we?" Taro asked as he lit a new cigarette. 

"Depends on how this goes." Hanzo flicked his phone out and activated the recording app as soon as he saw the ferry pulling in. He might be removing all leverage these Oyabun might have on him, but he would certainly compile his own against them.

The streets were silent, the Samurai nearby isolating the dock in case the situation indeed went poorly. Hanzo hoped it wouldn't, but was prepared for it all the same. Three cars pulled off the ferry and drove to the parking area next to the port. Then Hanzo was looking at the three bosses of some fairly influential yakuza families. They each were the age that his father would have been.

Hanzo hopped down from his perch on the van and lifted his arm to signal the Samurai. With that done he rounded the cans and started for the three bosses and their guards. Hanzo squared his shoulders and thought perhaps he should have worn the suit for this. But it didn't matter at this point.

"Greetings." Hanzo spoke and pointedly slung Storm Bow over his shoulder.

"Quite a mess here Shimada." Rokudo spoke as he lit a cigar. Hanzo huffed a snort.

"I should think so. You attacked an island where the Samurai Soldiers are staying." Hanzo said and all three Kumicho stiffened.

"Why are you involved with the Samurai?" Tsubasa demanded, he looked back at the men he brought with him. Like anyone had known of any Samurai involvement in his work over the past year. There was none  because no one had been involved with his quest. 

"Sakai kidnapped a Samurai's daughter last year. I came out of retirement to return her at his request. Before he died, Tokomori let slip that they had gotten your aid and you were launching an assault on the island." Hanzo inclined his head. "I see it went well for you."

"Fucking shit!" Rokudo cursed and chewed on his cigar. If money had been involved, no one was getting paid. If deals were in place to favor those who helped the Shimada return, they would fall through. 

"Our men?" Nagasaki asked as he looked aside.

"All returned to you." Hanzo waved his hand non chalantlytowarda the vans. "All dead."

"You killed them?!" Tsubasa sputtered incredulously. The Shimada Scions had always been underestimated. That was one reason why they were always so effective. 

"Hmm, you ran an assault on one of my safe havens. Endangered people who only had small contact with me. Had any of them died...we'd be having a different discussion right now. I have never taken kindly to my word being made worthless." Hanzo spoke coldly and he watched the shock turn to fear as his tattoo glowed. "So let's make a deal, and all this mess can be put behind us."

"If we refuse?" Nagasaki asked challengingly.

"Then you follow in the footsteps of the Shimada Clan and see why we are no more." Hanzo replied honestly. The knowledge that he had systematically torn his own clan to ruins got their attention. As it should, there was no one more dangerous than Hanzo right now. And they knew it.

"I gathered each of your men's bodies. Returned in good faith." Hanzo waved his hand and Taro threw the keys at the feet of their current enemies. "I got Kuroda to assist me in Osaka. I traded control of the Shimada's gambling assets for his help. For you three, I would offer you each a free contract."

Their eyes widened in shock. "A Shimada Contract?" Rokudo asked. 

" _My_ contact." Hanzo answered, his contact had always been in high demand in the underworld. The only reason he hadn't worked constantly, was that not everyone could pay his fee. "Each of you will get one target free of charge. After the job is completed you will have to hire me as anyone else would. But in exchange for a contract, and your returned men, you will leave this island and its inhabitants alone. With the Samurai here and their contacts in the government in the know... It wouldn't do for you to be caught here."

They looked him over, as if they were measuring his worth. Hanzo looked ahead as seriously as he could. With the regard of these three bosses on him, it felt like he was back in the council room. It felt like the elders were working around him, finding him wanting. So he donned the impassive cloak of who he had once been to maintain that image. 

"Do we have a deal?" Hanzo asked to push this whole endeavor ahead. He still needed to make himself scarce. Rin's contact would arrive before long. Hanzo needed to be far away from anyone in the government. He would bring no more danger here.

"Fuck, let's call it even then." Rokudo sauntered over and Hanzo shook his hand. The portly old man smirked in pleasure. He would find that there were stipulations to a Shimada contract. Even more so on his own.

"I knew I shouldn't have sided with that old dog." Tsubasa sighed as he stooped to pick up the van keys. "You Shimada are always so damn thorough."

"It comes with the territory." Hanzo quipped.

"Your father shines through in these kinds of dealings Shimada-Sama." Nagasaki said as he walked over to shake Hanzo's hand. He fought not to let the formal address rattle him. The Hanzo from twice years ago would have revelled in that regard. As it stood, it disgusted him. "A shame we couldn't have created an alliance before you left your clan. You could have been a formidable Kumicho."

"It doesn't matter, the clan is gone. It was not worth the price I paid for it." Hanzo breathed and finished sealing the deals. "Taro will take your contact information. He will set up your contacts. As soon as I have the information the jobs will be done...should they fall within my contract requirements."

Hanzo lifted his hand once more and walked away from the three yakuza leaders. In moments Taro was racing back over. They headed for a side road where they scaled to a rooftop. A little less than an hour later both vans and all three of the hover cars boarded the ferry and departed Tsushima.

"They're going to want you to do something terrible." Taro said with a scoff. "Not that it really matters, but you want us to do the _good_ thing right now."

"Hmm," Hanzo glared at the horizon. "You know what kind of jobs I will and won't do. You can be discerning about it."

"I will." Taro promised with a fire in his eyes that only Hanzo's orders had given him. We'll, the ones from the old days at least had.

"I need to leave." Hanzo said and was already calculating his next step. Tsukasa still needed to be dealt with.

"Already, you know they aren't going to be happy if you bail." Taro looked at him, his expression conveying the upset he knew the others would feel. 

"Hmm, I wasn't planning on coming back right now. I'm so close Taro. It would have been done yesterday but I was interrupted in the middle of it. Tsukasa was right there." Hanzo closed his eyes as his dragons reared in his mind with a desire to return to their hunt. Their vengence was still unfinished. He clenched his fists angrily. "Watch over them, Mujin tried very hard to win them their safe haven. Because of me...it is gone now. Don't let the government push them into serving again. We are not at war."

"I'll make sure, but you know Rin won't let that happen. He's planning to secure their role here. This is their retirement place and they do a few jobs here and there when they want to." Taro sighed and shook his head. "It was never simple with our elders."

"No, it never was." Hanzo closed his eyes and stepped off the rooftop. His life had never been simple at all.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo found Tsukasa easily enough. The old man had been admitted to the hospital after the wreck. Hanzo left his belongings in a new rented hotel across the city from where he had vacated the day previously. He spent the daylight hours cleaning his bloodied and dirty gear. Polishing his Kabuki gear to be shipped back to Megumi for storage.When night fell again he was out in the streets stalking through the crowds.

He was listening to the news broadcast as it sounded from radio's, on holo screens. The Kabuki event was canceled mid performance due to a disturbance in the crowd. It seemed they were spinning the Oni Assassin's initial attack. Hanzo had been lost in the rush of it all. It didn't seem that there was any camera footage of the wreck, just the aftermath.

Hanzo reached the hospital in record time, right between shifts. The guards were smoking at the main entrance, all set to leave for the day. Hanzo chose the entrance next to the ER. He encountered no resistance as he wakes past the vacated security desk and sauntered to the desk with a woman sitting behind it. He asked the receptionist about his uncle, having been in the wreck earlier and having just arrived from Kyoto. Worked like a charm, but maybe his personable smile had something to do with it. 

Hanzo used to be good at this. 

Hanzo ascended to the more private long stay rooms. The Shimada had resided there during their treatment. The rooms resembled a hotel more than a hospital room though. Hanzo took no pains to hide himself. He'd caused the wreck and had decimated their numbers left and right. While they considered him a traitor, no one would want to fight him now. 

Tsukasa was the last of their elders. After him they would have to fall to children, grandchildren even, to lead the Shimada Clan. None of term were capable of returning the clan to any form of illustrious glory. As Hanzo entered the quiet ward the nurses recognized him immediately. They bustled off to find jobs to do that kept them from seeing what was about to happen.

Hanzo turned to the hall and looked in the direction the nurses had avoided going to. Four guards all stood outside the room where Tsukasa was. They looked pale the moment they saw him. Hanzo looked them each up and down. Nervous, with rumpled and ill fitted suits. They were new to the lofty positions of protecting an elder, likely elevated to the role because anyone else capable was dead or defected.

"You may leave." Hanzo told them coldly. "I am not here for you."

Hanzo didn't wait for them to respond, he just started forward. His footsteps were loud in the silence. He carried himself like the boss he knew he could have been. Even if he hadn't been Kumicho, he was an assassin that commanded a room and owned e every inch of it. The four guards bowed to him and rushed away from his destination. Hanzo pulled his bow bag off his shoulder and dropped it outside the sliding door. 

Hanzo slid the glass door open, then passed through the curtain. He closed and locked the door behind him before he looked into the dimly lit room. Tsukasa laid in the hospital bed surrounded by a number of machines. The old man was awake, but he was hooked up to an oxygen mask. He looked more frail than he ever had. Even more so than when he'd dictated Hanzo's torture by ice and fire. 

Hanzo clenched his fists and blew out a long breath. This wasn't about him, this was about Genji. About the great sin he'd committed for his clan. The blood stained on him and his soul was heavily thanks to the elders, to their manipulation. 

Hanzo approached the bed and looked into the old man's eyes. "How the roles have reversed for you Tsukasa. How does it feel to be at the mercy of one you wronged?"

"I didn't take you for an assassin that needed help." Tsukasa rattled from his chest as he thumbed the bed's controls and angled it up to a more sitting position.

"I don't, there was just _competition_." Hanzo remarked thinking of the Oni Assassin.

"Ah...the one who started it all." Tsukasa huffed. "He started the fires."

Hanzo's brows lifted in surprise. Hanzo had thought it strange that Overwatch had returned after over a year of absence. He'd thought them to be drawn by the rumors of the Shimada clan resurging. He hadn't thought for even a second that they had sent the same assassin operative. It mattered little in the end, the last elder was right here, and there was no competition in this room.

"Do you know why I'm here Tsukasa? The other elders...they clung to the notion that I was eliminating you all to take the family back over." Hanzo met the old man's eyes.

"I would have assumed it was because of your legs, but that's all superficial. In the end you regret taking your brother's life." Tsukasa chuckled. "He betrayed us, he sold operation secrets to Overwatch, the same secrets they used to disrupt deals. Then they used it to destroy our drug operations, they killed elders in the fight."

"You never told me of this. I knew there were rumors, but no one had told me in those meetings that he was a traitor. You all only said I needed to remove him for the clan to fall under heel. That Genji would never become kindwhat we needed." Hanzo bit his lip as black hate for himself boiled up. "You bid me to kill my brother for such a weak reason. And I did so, like the foolish tool I am."

"If you had not run, everything would be as it should have been." Tsukasa huffed. "All you had to do was return to the council room."

Hanzo remembered, he remembered coming back to himself. On the stairs of that overlook just outside the dojo. With his sword drying the blood across it, deep scar in the blade. Genji's legs and+ arm strewn around him. His body incinerated by Udon and Ramen. He'd felt so overwhelmed, so disgusted by what he'd done, and why he'd done it. The notion that he could just return and rule the family had been unthinkable. Anything involving the clan, won with Genji's death, was entirely unacceptable.

"I committed the gravest of sins because you all ordered me to. I succumbed to your whims when I should have slaughtered two of you instead. I begged him to help me do it and bring the clan to heel my own way." Hanzo admitted.

"He denied you." Tsukasa chuckled. "What a failure you turned out to be."

"Yes, I practically delivered myself into your hands." Hanzo pinched the bridge of his nose to avoid the agonizing tears. He didn't want to express his sorrow over it before a man who had ordered him to kill his brother, ordered him captured, tortured to bring him under control, legs severed so that Hanzo couldn't run, raped to ensure a Shimada Heir.

No, there would be no tears before this man.

Hanzo tilted his head up and Tsukasa sighed. "It's time now eh?"

"After you, there's just me." Hanzo said and his dragons hissed in his mind at it.

"Show me the dragons, before I die." Tsukasa demanded and Hanzo sneered in irritation. They had only wanted him because of his dragons. That he had two instead of one like his father, like his brother, like his grandfather. They had believed him to be more powerful. Hanzo had never felt more weak than the moment he gained that scrutiny.

"The dragons are mine, and they will remain mine _forever_." Hanzo said and took the pillow from behind Tsukasa's head. He slammed his hand against the emergency release and the bed snapped back to flat instantly. Hanzo eyed the purple bruise on Tsukasa's head and neck. Damage from the wreck, had Hanzo's fear not been so strong, to correct Tsukasa would have died in his car much like Tokomori had.

"You're the worst Shimada to have ever been whelped from our clan. A waste of a bloodline. Had you not been chosen by your two dragons, you'd have been the one killed." Tsukasa spat angrily. Hanzo just pressed his knee to the bed and leaned over the old man who batted at him with weak hands. Hanzo gripped the pillow tight and smashed it over the old man's head. He levered his weight onto his hands and held the pillow in place.

Tsukasa he grabbed at Hanzo's arms wildly. The fabric of his jacket keeping his skin safe from biting nails. Tsukasa jolted, and his thrashing grew stronger, fighting for survival. But there was a difference between an old man that sat and ordered things done, and a man who's sole mission was to kill and avenge another. Hanzo glared at the pillow, this man was the deciding force that had convinced Hanzo to fall in line. Had Tsukasa not sided with the opposition, Hanzo would not have killed Genji. He would have had the weight to bring the clan to heel. Greed a s selfishness had brought ruin to their house. Ruin enacted by his own hands. 

The fighting slowed, then Tsukasa fell limp. Hanzo kept the pressure on a little longer. He didn't trust the old man to not fake it. When he finished his count to three minutes after the thrashing stopped he eased back. Hanzo tested for a pulse and got nothing. It was done.

Hanzo stripped the pillowcase off and tucked it into his jacket pocket. When he turned he noticed the door was open. He was certain it had been locked, _he'd_ locked it. Hanzo sneered and swept the door open. His bag was open, but untouched. Hanzo picked it up and reached in for Storm Bow.

Hanzo looked up and glared down the hall, he saw red light vanish around a corner. Hanzo glared, and hurried towards the elevator bay. One was descending, his uninvited intruder. Hanzo stilled from pushing the call button to summon an elevator. It didn't matter if another assassin was here. He'd taken the elders life. This part of it was done.


	28. Bargaining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo begs for an end. He gets a bit of an intervention.

**_'What are you doing?'_ **Udon asked as Hanzo woke up.

Hanzo rubbed his eyes as he realized he might still be drunk rather than hung over. He tilted his head and frowned at the body next to him in his hotel bed. He didn't remember coming here. But Storm Bow's bag and his civilian clothing rested on the chair near the door. He must have come here rather than his other rented room. 

Hanzo didn't answer his dragon as he eased from the bed. He dressed and left the room. He found the stairs and went down two floors to pay up the room for his unknown paramour. Then he was back out into the streets of Hanamura. At least his drunken self was smart enough to keep to a place across the city from where he actually slept. 

Hanzo circled the city before he returned to his small rented room. Hanzo stripped as soon as he was inside and took a hot shower. He ached all over, so at least he had the insight to stay on the bottom and not try topping. He really didn't think he could stomach putting his cock inside someone. Too much fear was still under those thoughts. Worse if he were black out drunk and just reacting to his flashbacks.

Hanzo looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't like the emotion swimming in his gaze so he focused instead on his physical appearance. Hickies ringed his neck and shoulders, evidence of a full night. His beard was a little rumpled, so he groomed and put his hair up. He blew out a long breath and exited the bathroom to find clothing. In the few weeks between his re-arrival and now, his room was a mess.

Hanzo sighed and dressed in a pair of sweats and a tank top. He gatherered up the empty bottles and processed food packaging. He threw them all away and started to prepare for the evening. He folded his kyudo-gi and settled it next to Storm Bow, returned to her natural state. He converted his arrows and filled his usual quiver.

Finished Hanzo dressed again in his civillian cargo pants and jacket. He left the apartment and made for the curio store. He chose a selection of incense he preffered personally. He collected all of his offerings and left for the grave site of his parents. He cleaned the grave stone and offered his parents news of his work, that the clan was effectively dismantled. He begged forgiveness for what he'd done to avenge Genji. It had gone against everything his father had wanted. But it was necessary, and it was done. 

Hanzo smoked for his father and grimaced at the taste, his father had always liked these things. Taro had better taste, that drew a small rueful smile to Hanzo's lips. He drank for his parents afterlife. He offered a prayer and left to visit Rikimaru. The food didn't stall him quite like it did the year before. But Hanzo was still reduced to grief stricken tears as soon as he finished his bowl. 

 _ **'What are you doing?'**_ Ramen asked as Hanzo payed far over the bill amount. Emptying his wallet of the credits he had on hand. Hanzo ignored his dragon and exited the restaurant to survey the castle across the street. There were still guards, but the gates were closed.

Hanzo meandered back to the apartment, he took a nap and woke to the setting sun. His phone was going off but he didn't answer. Instead he looked at the messages. Everyone was questioning him about how he was doing and what he was going to do next. He answered his voicemail when he checked to see Rin was the only one to have left a message. 

 _"Hanzo, you haven't reached out since you finished it. What are you doing? Come home, it's safe here."_ Rin growled and a long pause ran over the line like he was trying to word what he wanted to say correctly. _"Please."_

Hanzo's fingers flexed over the phone and he closed his eyes. Home...he _was_ going home. Udon and Ramen manifested on his arm and they lowered the phone to his lap. He looked at them and then away. His mind was closed off to them.

 _ **'Master...'**_ Ramen warbled. Hanzo cupped his hands under their small bodies and lifted them to his face. Tiny muzzles and horns rasped across his jaw and cheeks.

 _ **'Please, let's go back to Tsushima.'**_ Udon begged.

"No, " Hanzo said simply, "I must pay Genji his respects."

They whined like he'd said something else, something he was felt but wasn't going to voice. Even cut off from his thoughts they were too perceptive. So he stroked thumbs down each of their serpentine sides to comfort them. "Return now, I must prepare."

 

* * *

 

Hanzo entered the property with barely any resistance. Nothing like the year before, he kept it non lethal, these guards were not even former yakuza. There were more removed cousins who the property might fall to eventually. It was historical, too great to level for expansion. But that was not his concern.

Hanzo walked slowly across the property. Trailing his fingers over the bell ensconced before the gate, he let himself breathe in his home. He walked under the cherry blossoms, eating up the sight of them. His earliest memory was of looking up at them. He brushed the petals off as he walked under the inner archway. Slowly he made his way towards the dojo.

He paused outside, visions of his duel played out behind his closed eyelids. Hanzo swallowed the lump in his throat and brushed his prosthetics off. He walked into the building and blew out a long breath as his shoulders sank. He was home, and it was over. He was nearly finished.

Hanzo walked to the altar, looking up at the tapestry still splattered with Genji's blood. Perhaps those maintaining the grounds assumed it was old blood? Like it was meant to be there. Hanzo warred with himself, part of him wanting the blood to remain as a reminder of his great sin. The other part of him wanted it to be gone, the sight of his brothers blood sickened him.

He looked down at Storm Blade, her body damaged because of him. Hanzo rested Storm Bow on the table below it. Hanzo sank to his knees before the altar and pulled a hawk's feather from his hair. He settled it before him, then he sheared his long hair off. His golden ribbon unwound with nothing to hold it and fell around his shoulders. Hanzo rubbed the silk sash with his thumb and forefinger.

He poured plum wine into the cups this time. He lit the incense, sandalwood this time. Hanzo breathed in the comforting scent and prayed for Genji. But this time he didn't beg forgiveness. This time he settled the incense in its stand. Hanzo opened his kyudo-gi and drew his tanto from his quiver.

"Genji, it is done. Every elder that stood against you is dead. There were some I was unable to kill, but they met their end all the same. Perhaps you tried to dismantle the clan yourself. Perhaps you turned to Overwatch for that. It matters not, the clan is finished now. Your work...I completed it in your memory."

Hanzo bowed with his hands flat to the tatami. "I ask you not to forgive me for my sins. I know there is no forgiveness, no redemption for what I have done. I don't want it, I don't deserve it. I am more stained than I have ever been. And I only have myself to blame for it. Unforgivable, irredeemable, unfit, I know just what I am now. But you knew all along."

Hanzo closed his eyes to the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. He leaned back from prostrating himself. He looked up at the tapestry one more time, remembering the story told to them as boys. How sad it was, even while they had been awed by the dragons battle. It was his story in more than just legacy now. 

"I know it is not my place. But I beg you brother, I beg you to let me end it. I-... I cannot live like this any longer." Hanzo choked out. His dragons slithered under his skin, he was going to have to be fast. "Brother wherever you are in the afterlife, take your vengeance upon me."

Hanzo lifted the tanto and drove it down towards his stomach. Like the last time he tried to kill himself, Udon and Ramen burst forth from him. Their talons looped around his wrist and arm. The blade didn't even kiss his flesh. He'd tried faster, struck harder, and still they thwarted him. 

"No!" Hanzo shouted at them as all the roiling hate and sorrow boiled out from his careful control. Tears fell as he looked up into their massive eyes. "Let me go! I order you to release me!" 

 ** _'Never!'_ **Udon snarled.

 _ **'You must live.'**_ Ramen hissed. _ **'Atonement through living.'**_

"This will not be atonement. I avenged his death, let me now set him to peace." Hanzo let go with one hand to push at the translucent talons holding him. "Release me."

 _ **'No!'** _Udon bared his teeth. _**'Coward!'**_

"I am not!" Hanzo snapped back. "I am no coward. I defiled myself by doing the worst imaginable thing. I killed him, I killed _your_ sister! Let me make it right. I _beg_ you!"

Hanzo struggled kicking and slapping at the immovable force of their paws. He fought, and it was filled with fury. He screamed and clawed at his own flesh to free himself. Death was in his grasp. Why wouldn't they just let him _finish_ it?!

"Please!" Hanzo threw his pride aside, it had given him nothing but ruin. He begged as he looked up through his tears. "Please! I beg you! I beg you let me honor him!"

 _ **'This is not honoring Master Genji.'**_ Udon growled. _**'This is you running away from it!'**_

"How can I run from something the dwells in my chest! Crawling around and reminding me every second of every day that I should just kill myself to make right what I've done." Hanzo snapped back. "He will never find peace until I am dead so that he may punish me himself."

 _ **'No!'**_ Ramen tore the blade from his hand and it flew off behind him.

Despair burned alongside shame. Hanzo fell back and once they released him he rolled to his side. He sobbed, wailing for release. His dragons would not allow him to make it right. They would not let him throw away his life. However deserved it may be. Hanzo pleaded and begged but they only coiled around him.

He wasn't sure exactly how much time passed. But sirens sounded, so one of the guards must have woke up. Hanzo picked up his bow. He picked up his cup, leaving the other with the feather. The incense was brushed away and the holder returned to his pocket. He left swiftly, avoiding the police just as they burst into the dojo.

 

* * *

 

Knocking woke Hanzo up. He glared at the door from where he lay sprawled in his new hideout. He'd left Hanamura and relocated to Tokyo months ago. The heat of summer was oppressive, and this small studio had no air conditioning. Hanzo reached for one of the bottles next to him and drank deeply of the tepid sake.

There was a rattle and Hanzo rolled to a sitting position. Storm Bow was up and an arrow pointed at the entrance when he saw an intruder. He shot his arrow but it was slashed in half right outside the room he laid in. Rin entered the space sheathing his katana. Hanzo huffed in irritation, he reached for the bottle next to him.

"That was sloppy, you're better than that." Rin groused as he looked around. "This is a shitty hole you've found for yourself. Smart though, no one is paying attention to anyone in this building. Heard there's a few hits out on you, some of your former families poneyed up some good credits for you."

"There will always be those who are angry I killed their loved one." Hanzo slurred and lifted the bottle to drink. "Some of them have funds to spare for a bounty."

"This is the worst I've seen you. At least when you didn't have legs you still wanted to do something." Rin scowled judgingly. "Crawled to prove you could."

"I _do_ want to do something." Hanzo pointed his finger, but it went wild and he spilled some sake onto his dirty boxer clad thigh. "I want to die. Udon and Ramen won't let me."

"Yeah, well, too bad." Rin kicked the bottles away, uncaring of how much he spilled. Hanzo scrambled for them and ended up on his side. "Time to get your feet back under you."

"No." Hanzo protested even as he tried to lift the bottles ban up and preserve some of his alcohol. Something in him sneered at his pathetic display, but Hanzo was beyond pride. If Seppuku was out of his reach, he could at least kill himself by drinking his body to death.

"Taro has your targets from those yakuza bastards. Well go do your jobs, then we're going back to Tsushima." Rin looked down at him with dark eyes. 

"I'm not fit to work." Hanzo huffed and lifted another bottle after discovering his was empty. He didn't want to work at all. 

"Damn right you're not. On top of that your face is blasted all over the world as one of the top five most wanted in the world." Rin snorted. "So get your ass up, shower this shit off, and let's go."

"Top five?" Hanzo would be flattered, if he weren't still depressed that there was no way out anymore.

"That's right. You can't work with your face visible anymore. Targets will see you coming. Megumi made you some shit too. So sober up." Rin knocked the bottle out of his hands and pointed to the bathroom. "We're leaving, so get it together."

Hanzo would have just grabbed another bottle. He desperately wanted one. But he just got his feet under him and wobbled to the bathroom. Only his legs kept him upright as his vision listed to the side. He opened the door and hobbled to the toilet as his stomach rebelled at all the motion. 

"Don't fucking drown in there!" Rin snapped. Hanzo growled before he upended his stomach. He just wanted to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Still drunk, freshly showered, and lazily dressed Hanzo left the bathroom. The bottles were piled up near the kotatsu, his duffle sat next to the door, and his guitar case set next to it. Storm Bow was nestled in her gear bag with the quiver. All of Hanzo's possessions packed away efficiently. Rin was good at quick departures. 

They shuffled from the apartment and down to a car on the street. Taro was lounging in the driver's seat. Hanzo settled his bags in the trunk and climbed into the back. Taro turned in his seat to give him an amused once over. "Yo, Hanzo."

"Hn," Hanzo grunted his greeting and wrapped his arms around his chest as he looked out the window. "Where are we going?"

"Safehouse." Rin answered. "You never went there. And I got something for you."

The car pulled off and they drove through the early morning traffic. It wasn't until they pulled up some time later that Hanzo realized he'd dozed off for some undetermined time. The sun was up now, so mid morning.

"Come on, this is as good a place as any for you to sober up." Rin climbed out. His kimono rustling around his armored legs. Taro looked him over like he was an invalid before he moved for the bags.

Hanzo climbed out of the car and gritted his teeth at his headache. It was made worse as the vehicle whined as its hover wells powered down to idle hovering. He glared up at a building that at night would be lit up from within with all its neon and holo signs. A popular tourist spot, Hanzo looked around and couldn't recognize the street. Shinjuku?

"Were in Shinjuku." Taro smirked as he passed Hanzo. Clearly he was too hungover if Taro could read his expressions. 

They entered the doorway next to the store and it led up a stairwell to a landing. Rin was there hand to a very high text screen. It unlocked the reinforced door and the whole thing slid to the side. Rin entered followed by Taro. Hanzo walked inside after them. 

It spanned a large width before it branched off to the four corners of the whole block. He saw a training room, an office space, and a kitchen. What a well stocked safe house. "The government built it for after the war. They decommissioned the space after so many of us Samurai bit it. We were going to be an auxiliary that supported the law enforcement. Like how Overwatch deals with terrorists and crime syndicates, only we would have been domestic."

"They allowed you to reclaim the building." Hanzo noted.

"After a few of us decided we needed work. We were hired by the government as freelancers. The safe houses were part of my deal. I get them, and they get me working every so often for Japan. Helps that there's only four if us really able to work." Rin chuckled. "Anyways, come with me Kid."

Rin walked through the main room to a wall that looked like it was lined with supply crates, and judging by how he pulled one emblazoned by the twin dragons, it may have been. Hanzo walked over and looked at the crate. 

 "This is what I wanted you to pick up after you left Hanamura. Guess you forgot." Rin smirked. Hanzo winced as he remembered Hanamura. The way he'd given in to his despair and hunger for death. His begging and his dragon's emphatic _no._ It had been a long two months of trying to drown his shame with alcohol.

Hanzo opened the case and blinked down at the orange belt that lay on the top. There were thick heavy Hakama pants, they felt more like cargo material. He pulled it up and gaped even he saw the armor beneath it. He whipped around to Rin. "This is-!"

"Same armor we Samurai wear." Rin nodded and thumped his chest where his red armor peeked out. The set Hanzo was touching was silver gray with a dark charcoal undertone. There was a set of legs inside as well. Hanzo lifted the armor and was shocked to see a armored sleeve to cover his tattoo. Designed entirely different from his dragons and storms. Segmented material that would shift like second skin. A nano weave. 

"This was designed by a few of my contacts. Same shit they were going to equip us with. Had the plans gone forward after the crisis we might have been Ninja rather than Samurai." Rin shrugged. "I had this shit made because you can't be seen as you anymore. At least until someone else takes your spot on the wanted list. It's also bullet resistant. So there's that."

"I-...I don't know what to say." Hanzo blinked. The tired part of him wanted to reject the gift entirely.

"Don't say anything." Rin said. "You're depressed, you wouldn't mean it anyway."

Hanzo smirked at Rin's shitty attitude. It was constant, as refreshing as it had been when he'd been devestate by his trauma. In the wake of his crushing depression it was needed. Hanzo sighed and looked to Taro who was setting up a laptop.

"Who's my first target?" 


End file.
